ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to ensure the welfare of sea creatures in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK Government's vision for the marine environment is for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. To this end, the Government have taken steps within the past 12 months to protect sea life through a diverse range of initiatives and policies, including:
	 Developing the Marine and Coastal Access Bill
	The Marine and Coastal Access Bill is currently progressing through the parliamentary process; it had its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 15 December 2008 and started its House of Lords Committee stage on 12 January. It is expected to gain Royal Assent in the summer or autumn of 2009. The Bill will bring significant changes to the way the marine area is managed and protected, and will help us towards our vision for the marine environment.
	 Assessing the state of UK Seas
	The Government make regular assessments of the state of the UK seas to evaluate the extent to which they are clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse. The first report, Charting Progress, was published in 2005 and is available on the DEFRA website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk
	The second report is currently being prepared and is expected to be published in 2010. The monitoring and assessment work and evidence collection is co-ordinated across the UK through the UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy (UKMMAS).
	 Designating further Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
	In the last 12 months, DEFRA has designated five additional marine candidate special areas of conservation (SACs) in UK offshore waters, which takes the total number of MPAs in UK waters to 156. These new sites have also been added to the OSPAR (Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic) list of MPAs.
	Furthermore, Natural England (NE) is currently carrying out pre-consultation discussions with stakeholders regarding a further eight marine sites in English waters.
	 Closing valuable areas to the most damaging activities
	On 19 June 2008, my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Jonathan Shaw), made the decision to close an area 60 square nautical miles in Lyme Bay to the most damaging fishing practices. A statutory instrument was signed off by the Minister and laid in Parliament, and came into force on 11 July 2008. Lyme Bay is one of the most important areas for marine life in England, and the decision to close 60 square nautical miles to the most damaging fishing methods demonstrated the Government's commitment to protecting the richness of our marine heritage as part of our goal of living within our environmental means.
	On 6 March 2008, my hon. Friend announced his decision to ban scallop dredging and other towed bottom gear from the outer part of the Fal and Helford special area of conservation (SAC). The ban was implemented through a statutory instrument which came into force on 1 October 2008. Following DEFRA's decision to ban scallop dredging, Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee, with support from DEFRA, is considering introducing a byelaw in order to establish an experimental MPA in the outer SAC area for the purposes of assessing and managing the scallop stocks within it. The byelaw would prohibit all forms of scallop harvesting, including through diving. The public consultation on the draft byelaw was concluded on 15 February 2009. Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee is currently assessing the results of the consultation.
	 Working with Europe to protect species and habitats
	At the 60(th) annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) which took place in June 2008, the UK played an important role in the conservation and protection of cetaceans worldwide. We were able to defeat a Danish proposal for an annual take of 10 humpback whales in their Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (ASW) hunt, thereby saving the needless slaughter of 50 humpbacks in the period 2008-12. We also made telling interventions on whale welfare; scientific whaling; the plight of the Western Pacific Gray Whale population; recent trade in whale meat from Iceland and Norway to Japan; and the Japanese Dall's porpoise hunt. The UK will continue to strongly support the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling and oppose all forms of whaling, other than limited whaling operations by indigenous people for subsistence purposes to meet a defined and substantiated need.
	 Marine Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPS)
	DEFRA has established a stakeholder group to drive forward the delivery of marine biodiversity. This group is chaired by NE and reports to the England Biodiversity Group.
	Through the Countdown 2010 grant programme, NE specifically called for projects to help the delivery marine biodiversity targets. Three large projects were awarded funds totalling £286,000. These were:
	The Isles of Scilly Marine Biodiversity Project;
	British Elasmobranchs: building and applying knowledge for a sustainable future. This project aims to arrest, and where possible reverse, the decline in elasmobranch (shark, skate and ray) populations; and
	Solent Seal Tagging Project.
	NE also supported the Marine Conservation Society to produce the Marine Local Biodiversity Action Plan Guidance Manual for England published in 2008.
	In addition, NE published a report, State of the Natural Environment, in 2008, a copy of which is available on their website at:
	www.naturalengland.org.uk
	This included a chapter on the marine environment and its biodiversity. Further progress on the delivery of marine BAP targets is being captured through the 2008 Biodiversity Action Plan reporting process. This information is still being collated and will be available shortly.

Animal Welfare

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to ensure the welfare of circus animals in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The welfare of circus animals is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a Duty of Care to animals—this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal's welfare needs are met.
	During the last 12 months DEFRA has been investigating whether further regulation of the use of wild animals in circuses is required.

Animal Welfare

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to ensure the welfare of domestic pets in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The welfare of domestic pets is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a Duty of Care to animals—this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal's welfare needs are met.
	In November 2008, the Secretary of State launched a public consultation on the new code of practice for cats, dogs and horses. The main purpose of the codes is to provide practical guidance on pet owners' responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act. The consultation exercise closed at the end of last year, and my Department is analysing the responses before the codes are approved by Parliament.

Flood Control

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes he has made to future expenditure plans to meet the threat to the UK of flooding from global warming.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government are committed to effective management of flood and coastal erosion risk. Spending across central and local government has increased from £307 million in 1996-97 to some £650 million this year and will total £2.15 billion over three years to 2010-11.
	As announced in the 2008 Pre Budget Report, £20 million has been brought forward from 2010-11 into 2009-10 as part of the fiscal stimulation package, which will mean earlier protection for 27,000 homes.

Floods: Sutton

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which properties in the London borough of Sutton have been assessed to be at risk of flooding by the Environment Agency; which areas and streets have been identified as at risk; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency's Flood Map indicates that within the London borough of Sutton, 3,018 properties are within Flood Zone 3 and 2,578 properties lie within Flood Zone 2.
	A flood map indicating the location of the Flood Zones and a list of the properties at risk have been placed in the library of the House.

Genetically Modified Organisms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy on the growing of genetically modified maize is.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Our general policy is that genetically modified (GM) crops should only be grown if the evidence shows that they will not have any adverse effect on human health and the environment. We therefore support the existing European Union (EU) controls which provide for a robust case-by-case safety assessment.
	Only one type of GM maize seed is currently being marketed for cultivation in the EU. It is designed to be resistant to an insect pest that we do not have in the UK, and the GM trait has been bred into maize varieties that are not suitable for UK growing conditions. The GM seed is therefore not being sold here.

Pesticides: EU Action

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to implement the new EU pesticides legislation; and what the timetable for implementation will be.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government have generally welcomed the European Commission's thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. However, throughout the negotiation process, the UK consistently argued that the proposals should be based on sound evidence and supported by an impact assessment. In particular, we remain opposed to the use of hazard cut off criteria which will have a detrimental agronomic impact, but have not been demonstrated to deliver a positive benefit for human health. In the absence of an impact assessment, it is impossible to judge whether there will be any positive benefit accruing from this element of the proposals.
	Nevertheless, the regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and the framework Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides are expected to be approved by the Council in the near future. They will then be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
	The regulation will enter into force 20 days after publication. It will apply generally 18 months later, with specific timescales laid down for certain provisions and transitional measures for active substances already subject to approval arrangements under Council Directive 91/414/EEC.
	The Directive will enter into force on the day following publication. Member states will have two years to develop any implementing legislation or administrative provisions, with specific timescales laid down for the implementation of certain provisions.
	The Government are developing detailed plans for implementing the new legislation and will consult stakeholders on proposed measures where appropriate.

Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 332W, on redundancy, what estimate he has made of the annual payroll savings resulting from staff exit schemes in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09 excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for 2009-10.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 5 February 2009
	DEFRA has run two voluntary early departure schemes since 2006. The first of these ran from December 2006 to July 2007, and the second from September 2007 to January 2008. The material forecast core DEFRA paybill savings up to 2010-11 due to early departures via those schemes are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2007-08 10 
			 2008-09 17.2 
			 2009-10 17.9 
			 2010-11 18.6 
		
	
	Further analysis is not readily available.

Rights of Way: Coastal Areas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what differences there will be between land proposed to be designated as a coastal route under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill and land designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as coastal access land.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The line of the route will be proposed under the procedures set out in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and will be established and signed as the intended route for people who want to walk along the coast. However, the access rights for both the route and the wider margin will be provided for under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and will be subject to the provisions of that Act as amended by the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.

Rights of Way: Coastal Areas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether, under the terms of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, designation of land as coastal access land will affect development carried out under the General (Permitted Development) Order 1995;
	(2)  whether land designated as coastal access land under the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill will have the same status as a public right of way where development or change of use of land is proposed.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The coastal access provisions in part 9 of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill are designed to be flexible so as to minimise the impacts on property and business, and to take account of changes in use and of future developments. The line of the route and spreading room is not fixed permanently and the Bill enables Natural England to review these and propose changes to the Secretary of State (subject to the same system of consultation and representations as the original proposals) at a later date. Certain types of land are excepted from the right of access. The categories of excepted land are set out in Schedule 1 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and they include buildings and their curtilage and land used for the purposes of a statutory undertaking. Land can become excepted from the right of access at any time if some change or development occurs so that it falls into one of the excepted land categories in Schedule 1. Where development is carried out under the General (Permitted Development) Order 1995, the land will be excepted if it falls into an excepted land category. Public rights of way are governed by a separate and different legal framework.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff in her Office  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: No members of staff in my private office have been disciplined or had their employment terminated as a result of poor sickness record in the last 12 months.
	Annual sickness leave statistics are published on the Cabinet Office website in the "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1115W, on the Olympic games 2012, when each of the key stakeholder forums to design and deliver the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies is to take place; what the location of each is; who has been invited to each; what account the London Olympic Committee plans to take of the outcome of each event; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has scheduled a number of ceremony forums in every nation and region across the UK in February and March of this year.
	Confirmed locations include Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Brighton, London, Newcastle, Wakefield, Cambridge, Leicester, Manchester, Cardiff and Plymouth. Each forum includes around 10-15 diverse creative industry experts selected by the creative programmers in each nation and region, and there will also be special ones for young people.
	These are initial fora to scope the ambition of the ceremonies and how to get the whole country involved—they will not finalise the content of the four opening and closing ceremonies to take place in 2012. The results of the fora will inform LOCOG's decision-making processes on the creative brief for the ceremonies in due course.

Olympic Games 2012: Air Pollution

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will include reduction of air pollution as an objective for the Olympic legacy.

Tessa Jowell: The Government have set out how the UK aims to meet EU air quality limits in their Air Quality Strategy. We have no plans to set targets outside that strategy specifically for the 2012 Games.
	However, we recognise that good air quality could make the Games a platform for demonstrating long-term solutions for improving air quality. Measures being taken include: the Olympic sites aiming to meet the stringent requirements in the London Best Practice Guidance to reduce emissions from demolition and construction; energy efficient buildings acting to lessen emissions; and improved public transport services to reduce the need to travel by car.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what procedures  (a) the Olympic Delivery Authority and  (b) its contractors follow in employing persons to work on the Olympic Park site; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Vacancies within the Olympic Delivery Authority will normally be advertised on the London 2012 website and recruitment decisions will be based solely on the basis of the applicant's abilities and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the job as set out in the person specification.
	The vast majority of employment opportunities that will arise will be contractor's own vacancies. This recruitment is undertaken by the contractors who place vacancies with local job brokerage services across in the five host boroughs. Vacancies are offered exclusively and equally to each of the five host borough employment brokerages for a period of two days. The local brokerage services work in partnership with contractors and the on-site employment and skills managers who match candidates to vacancies.
	If, after the first two days, vacancies are not filled, they are then made available to job brokerage services across London for a further two days via Relay London Jobs, and then nationally through the JobCentre Plus network.
	Guidance for people interested in seeking work is available on the London 2012 website. The ODA and its partners are constantly improving the access for residents to training and job brokerage around the Games.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Ian Gibson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make it her policy to require construction projects for the London 2012 Olympics to be zero carbon.

Tessa Jowell: We are aiming for a 50 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions from the built environment of the Olympic Park, by 2013, through a number of initiatives including: making permanent venues 15 per cent. more energy efficient than 2006 Building Regulations standard; and making the homes in the Athletes' Village 44 per cent. more energy efficient than 2006 Building Regulations standard.
	A Carbon Management Strategy for the Games is being prepared currently by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Development Agency, supported by a technical advisory group, which will look at the carbon impact of hosting the Games.

Olympic Games 2012: Tickets

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps her Department is taking to provide that half of the tickets for the London 2012 Olympics will be sold for less than £20; how many tickets for the London 2012 Olympics she estimates will be priced at under £20; and when the final price of tickets will be established.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the ticketing strategy for the London 2012 games. The strategy is currently being developed and information about tickets will be made public in 2010. Tickets will go on sale in 2011.1 have held detailed discussions with the chairman, Chief Executive and Head of Ticketing at LOCOG about the developing strategy.
	I am absolutely committed to making sure that there are tickets for sale at affordable prices for all. LOCOG is committed to this principle too, and I know they are looking carefully at ticket prices as they develop their strategy.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which  (a) she,  (b) other Ministers in her Office and  (c) her Office's senior officials undertook in 2008.

Chris Bryant: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.
	No senior officials incurred costs in respect of overseas visits in 2008.

UK Youth Parliament

Greg Knight: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the answer of 25 July 2007 to the hon. Member for Stroud,  Official Report, column 1124W, on the UK Youth Parliament, what plans she has to discuss the possible use of the Chamber of the House by the UK Youth Parliament with  (a) the Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee,  (b) other committees of the House and  (c) the House authorities.

Chris Bryant: The issues involved are ones of principle rather than of practice. It is therefore right that the whole House should decide.
	I understand that the House authorities would be able to make appropriate practical arrangements if the House were to decide to allow the Youth Parliament to use the Chamber.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since April 2005 the Government has sought assurances from the US administration on the treatment of detainees, as referred to in the Government's Response to paragraph 131 of the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report on the Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantánamo Bay and Iraq, Cm 6511.

David Miliband: Conclusion of the Intelligence and Security Committee's Rendition Report of July 2007 notes that from April 2004
	"assurances on humane treatment were properly and routinely sought in operations that involved any risk of rendition and/or U.S. custody."
	Detention issues are the subject of frequent and regular discussions with the US administration.
	Because of the wide ranging nature of these exchanges we cannot provide statistics on this matter, but they include discussion of policy and processes in place to prevent any mistreatment, as well as detailed discussion of individual cases. Continued close co-operation with the US is absolutely critical to the UK's ability to counter the threat to the UK posed by global terrorism.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the National Security Committee has had in  (a) the review of Afghanistan strategy led by the Prime Minister and  (b) the 2008 periodic assessment of Afghanistan strategy; and on how many occasions since July 2007 the Committee has convened to discuss Afghanistan.

David Miliband: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when, how often and for how long they meet, is generally not disclosed; as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
	However, Ministers meet regularly under the auspices of the Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development to discuss the United Kingdom's policy towards Afghanistan, in light of the ongoing review of the Government's Afghanistan strategy. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the International Development Secretary, and the Defence Secretary are kept regularly informed of progress in implementing the strategy.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 362W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the main findings of the internal stock-take of Government policy in Afghanistan completed in December 2008 were.

David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1234W.

Burma: USA

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on its policy on Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We remain in close contact with the US and other like-minded international partners regarding the situation in Burma, bilaterally and in multilateral fora, including at the UN and EU. Recent discussions with the US administration have taken place at official level.
	Our shared aim continues to be a credible transition to democracy in Burma that is inclusive. The US and the UK agree on the pressing need for the military regime to release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi. We continue to work with the US and other partners to encourage the Burmese regime to engage with the UN Good Offices Mission.

Climate Change

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 855-6W, on climate change, which new posts for  (a) locally-engaged and  (b) UK-based staff have been created in each of his Department's priority countries for the Government's objectives on climate change.

David Miliband: The distribution of locally engaged and UK based staff in the priority countries for the Government's objectives on climate change are as set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Country  LE staff  UK based staff 
			 Argentina 1 — 
			 Bangkok 1 — 
			 Beijing 12 8 
			 Berlin 1 — 
			 Bolivia 1 — 
			 Brasilia 6 4 
			 Canada 4 2 
			 Chennai 2 — 
			 Columbia 1 — 
			 Hanoi 1 — 
			 Jakarta 2 2 
			 Kuala Lumpur 1 — 
			 Kolkata 1 — 
			 Madrid 1.5 — 
			 Manila 1 — 
			 Mexico 7 2 
			 Moscow 3 3 
			 Mumbai 1 — 
			 New Delhi 2 3.5 
			 Oslo 1 — 
			 Paris 1.5 — 
			 Peru 1 — 
			 Pretoria 2 1 
			 Rome 1 1 
			 Seoul 2 1 
			 Singapore 1 1 
			 St. Petersburg 1 — 
			 Tokyo 1 1 
			 USA 9 2 
			 Venezuela 1 — 
			 Warsaw 2 1 
			 Total 73 32.5

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2049W, on exchange rates, which posts overseas reported a decline in the purchasing power of their local budget; and what the value in UK sterling was of the total reported decline.

David Miliband: As of November 2008 a total of 168 posts reported a decline in the purchasing power of their local budget. The total value of this reported decline was £44,176,397 (£27.9 million in April 2008 and a further £16.3 million as of October 2008).
	Set out in the following table are the posts that reported a decline and the value of this decline.
	
		
			  Annex A 
			  £000 
			  Post  Total overseas price movement impact as of October 2008 
			 Abu Dhabi 252.8 
			 Abuja 751.2 
			 Accra 98.0 
			 Addis Ababa 83.4 
			 Algiers 310.2 
			 Amman 405.7 
			 Amsterdam 119.4 
			 Anguilla 12.4 
			 Ankara 501.7 
			 Ashgabat 52.0 
			 Asmara 11.6 
			 Astana 146.2 
			 Athens 546.6 
			 Atlanta 70.5 
			 Auckland 15.3 
			 Baghdad 601.5 
			 Bahrain 61.2 
			 Baku 304.8 
			 Bandar Seri Begawan 55.9 
			 Bangkok 241.0 
			 Banjul 66.9 
			 Basra 251.0 
			 Beijing 940.5 
			 Beirut 148.5 
			 Belgrade 443.6 
			 Belmopan 92.7 
			 Berlin 751.9 
			 Berne 400.3 
			 Bogota 297.1 
			 Bordeaux 15.1 
			 Boston 77.2 
			 Brasilia 564.2 
			 Bratislava 149.5 
			 Bridgetown 135.3 
			 Brisbane 39.3 
			 Brussels 1,481.4 
			 Bucharest 170.0 
			 Budapest 375.5 
			 Buenos Aires 534.3 
			 Cairo 297.0 
			 Canberra 444.1 
			 Cape Town 50.6 
			 Caracas 426.7 
			 Castries 12.7 
			 Chennai 17.0 
			 Chicago 105.5 
			 Chisinau 94.6 
			 Chongqing 79.2 
			 Colombo 389.9 
			 Copenhagen 40.4 
			 Dakar 76.5 
			 Damascus 66.6 
			 Dar Es Salaam 111.9 
			 Dhaka 263.2 
			 Doha 220.2 
			 Dubai 467.3 
			 Dublin 416.9 
			 Dushanbe 63.3 
			 Dusseldorf 505.5 
			 Ekaterinburg 61.4 
			 Freetown 82.0 
			 Gaborone 21.8 
			 Geneva 557.3 
			 Georgetown 61.2 
			 Grand Cayman 15.3 
			 Grand Turk 26.1 
			 Guangzhou 338.1 
			 Guatemala City 101.1 
			 Hanoi 152.6 
			 Havana 83.9 
			 Helsinki 293.4 
			 Ho Chi Minh City 68.5 
			 Hong Kong 375.9 
			 Honiara 16.0 
			 Houston 100.6 
			 Islamabad 176.1 
			 Istanbul 474.2 
			 Jakarta 189.0 
			 Jerusalem 312.8 
			 Johannesburg 51.3 
			 Kabul 818.2 
			 Kampala 110.2 
			 Karachi 6.4 
			 Kathmandu 10.2 
			 Khartoum 303.6 
			 Kiev 390.7 
			 Kigali 53.3 
			 Kingston 361.7 
			 Kinshasa 211.2 
			 Kolkata 8.2 
			 Kuala Lumpur 165.5 
			 Kuwait 348.0 
			 La Paz 92.4 
			 Lagos 1,008.9 
			 Lille 16.7 
			 Lilongwe 47.2 
			 Lima 175.4 
			 Lisbon 283.9 
			 Ljubljana 121.0 
			 Los Angeles 151.1 
			 Luanda 72.3 
			 Lusaka 204.2 
			 Luxembourg 79.1 
			 Lyon 13.3 
			 Madrid 1,202.1 
			 Manila 265.1 
			 Maputo 131.8 
			 Marseille 0.4 
			 Melbourne 70.2 
			 Mexico City 348.2 
			 Minsk 57.1 
			 Montevideo 205.6 
			 Montreal 17.1 
			 Moscow 314.3 
			 Mumbai 24.8 
			 Munich 131.6 
			 Muscat 196.2 
			 Nairobi 576.8 
			 New Delhi 158.6 
			 New York BCG 272.1 
			 New York UKMIS 59.6 
			 Nicosia 347.4 
			 Osaka 202.5 
			 Oslo 157.4 
			 Ottawa 279.4 
			 Panama City 59.6 
			 Paris 1,615.9 
			 Perth 32.2 
			 Phnom Penh 136.4 
			 Plymouth 13.2 
			 Port Louis 92.5 
			 Port Moresby 69.1 
			 Port of Spain 172.8 
			 Prague 453.9 
			 Pretoria 169.1 
			 Pristina 141.9 
			 Quito 66.9 
			 Rabat 278.1 
			 Rangoon 173.3 
			 Riga 145.1 
			 Rio de Janeiro 276.4 
			 Riyadh 543.4 
			 Rome 1,135.6 
			 San Francisco 89.8 
			 San Jose 62.5 
			 Sanaa 192.7 
			 Santiago 199.0 
			 Santo Domingo 29.9 
			 Sao Paulo 357.2 
			 Sarajevo 166.4 
			 Shanghai 369.6 
			 Singapore 339.5 
			 Skopje 250.2 
			 Sofia 266.3 
			 St. Georges 3.4 
			 St. Johns 4.1 
			 St. Petersburg 217.0 
			 Stockholm 281.4 
			 Strasbourg 3.5 
			 Suva 51.0 
			 Sydney 126.5 
			 Taipei 150.1 
			 Tallinn 145.5 
			 Tashkent 127.4 
			 Tbilisi 203.1 
			 Tehran 643.8 
			 Tel Aviv 523.4 
			 The Hague 331.5 
			 Tirana 64.1 
			 Tokyo 923.7 
			 Toronto 108.5 
			 Tortola 15.3 
			 Tripoli 302.5 
			 Tunis 125.0 
			 Ulaanbaatar 33.5 
			 Valletta 113.9 
			 Vancouver 39.5 
			 Victoria 7.5 
			 Vienna 568.5 
			 Vilnius 108.0 
			 Warsaw 615.9 
			 Washington 617.9 
			 Wellington 49.6 
			 Yaounde 97.5 
			 Yerevan 107.6 
			 Zagreb 213.8 
			 Total OPM Uplift 44,176.4

Deportation: Terrorism

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which countries the United Kingdom has signed memorandums of understanding to ensure that any deported terrorism suspects will not face torture or ill-treatment on their return; and with which countries similar memoranda are currently being negotiated.

Bill Rammell: We have secured framework arrangements on assurances with Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria and Ethiopia.
	The Government are pursuing possible arrangements with other countries, but it would not be appropriate to identify them until negotiations have been concluded. Copies of any new arrangements will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

EC Labour Policy

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EU job centres are based in non-EU states; what the expected total projected costs of these offices is for 2009; and whether there are any plans to open more such offices.

Caroline Flint: There are no EU job centres in non-EU states, and there are no plans to open any such offices.

Elections: Monitoring

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on sending secondees to the OSCE in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: Our approximate spending on UK secondees to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 (1)1,337,751 
			 2007-08 2,038,104 
			 2006-07 2,235,012 
			 2005-06 2,249,164 
			 2004-05 4,498,264 
			 (1) Up to 28 February 2009

Elections: Monitoring

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) staff of his Department and  (b) other UK nationals are seconded to the OSCE institutions, including Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and OSCE field missions; and how many of each have been so seconded in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: We currently have 14 UK secondees to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), none of whom are Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff.
	Over the last five years, we have seconded the following numbers of civilian staff to the OSCE:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007-08 26 
			 2006-07 36 
			 2005-06 41 
			 2004-05 66 
			 2003-04 68

Elections: Monitoring

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the Government was for election observation conducted by  (a) OSCE,  (b) the European Union and  (c) the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: The cost of the UK's contribution to Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election observation over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 625,075 
			 2007-08 657,458 
			 2006-07 281,735 
			 2005-06 1,086,832 
			 2004-05 1,165,539 
		
	
	Details on OSCE funding prior to 2004 is held only in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office archives and is not readily available. To find this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The European Commission funds EU election assistance and observation. The UK contributes through its overall payments to the EU, which means that we cannot provide a breakdown for each of the last 10 years. Similarly, we pay for Council of Europe election observation through our assessed contributions, and as such cannot provide a detailed indication of our costs.

Gulf of Aden: Piracy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 169W, on Yemen: piracy, how many incidents of piracy were recorded in the Gulf of Aden in  (a) November and December 2008 and  (b) 2009 to date.

David Miliband: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 November to December 2008 29 
			 2009 to 5 March 2009 23

India

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the Indian media coverage of his recent visit to India.

Bill Rammell: Indian media coverage of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's recent visit was extensive and varied.

India: Christianity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of  (a) closures of churches in India and  (b) the treatment of Christians in that country; what recent representations he has made to the government of India on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have received reports of churches in Karnataka being temporarily closed from 24 December 2008 to 4 January 2009 following allegations of forced conversions made by groups including the Hindu Jagarana Vedike. However, on 24 December 2008, the Karnataka High Court permitted some of these churches to conduct prayers during this period. The churches have now been re-opened.
	An EU delegation, which included a representative from our high commission in New Delhi, visited Orissa between 9 and 12 December 2008 to assess the latest situation. They observed that Orissa remained tense and unsettled and that some of those affected by the violence had still not returned to their homes. The Orissa state authorities advised the delegation that all measures had been taken to prevent any repetition of the widespread violence that took place in 2007 and 2008.
	My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, discussed the situation with Anand Sharma, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, and Mohammed Qureshi, Chairman of the Indian Minorities Commission, when he visited New Delhi on 17 October 2008. Our high commission in New Delhi also raised the issue of religious minorities at the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue on 27 February 2009.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he plans to hold with the Iranian Government on the fate of the seven Baha'is who are expected shortly to be put on trial by the Iranian authorities.

Bill Rammell: We have called repeatedly for the Iranian Government to release the seven leading members of the Iranian Baha'i community. We issued a statement on 16 February 2009, backed by an EU statement on 17 February 2009, expressing our concern and calling for the Iranian Government to ensure that any trial is fair and to allow independent observation of the judicial proceedings.
	The Iranian authorities are reluctant to engage with the international community, and refuse to receive formal representations on human rights issues from the EU. In this context we believe the most significant impact we can have is by ensuring that international attention remains focussed on the human rights environment in Iran. Alongside our EU partners we repeatedly express our firm opposition to all forms of discrimination and oppression, and urge Iran to respect and protect its religious minorities and free all prisoners held due to their faith or religious practice.
	The statement issued on 16 February 2009 is available for viewing at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=13644191

Kashmir: Diplomatic Service

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the US administration on the possible appointment of a US special representative for Kashmir.

Bill Rammell: We are not aware of any plans for the US to appoint a special representative for Kashmir. There are no plans to discuss the issue.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the government of Israel and  (b) the United Nations on the loss of unexploded Israeli ordnance in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: We are very concerned about reports that unexploded ordnance has gone missing in Gaza. We fully support the UN call for the unexploded material to be returned so that it can be safely disposed of by professionals trained to do so.
	The UK has been very clear about the danger this sort of material poses. For this reason we moved quickly to fund the mines advisory group to assess and clear unexploded ordnance and have called on the Israeli government to allow mines clearance personnel entry to Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Israel on funding for reconstruction in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The reconstruction of Gaza needs more than pledges of aid. The aid needs to get in; it needs to be well spent; and then it needs to be sustained. The Government continue to call on the Israeli government to improve access and to relax tough restrictions on the type of goods that are allowed across the border.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this message during the reconstruction conference in Sharm El-Sheik on 2 March 2009 as did the International Development Secretary during his visit to Gaza on 1 March 2009. Both have raised the issue directly with Israeli Minister of Welfare and Social Services, Isaac Herzog.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli government to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for food, fuel and medical supplies; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are very keenly aware that the reconstruction of Gaza needs more than pledges of aid. The aid needs to get in; it needs to be well spent; and then it needs to be sustained. The Government continue to call on the Israeli Government to improve access and to relax tough restrictions on the type of goods that are allowed across the border.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this message during the reconstruction conference in Sharm El-Sheikh on 2 March 2009 as did the International Development Secretary during his visit to Gaza on 1 March 2009. Both have raised the issue directly with Israeli Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political situation in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: We receive regular reports from the UN detailing the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
	My right hon. Friend the International Development Secretary visited Gaza on 1 March 2009 and called for improved access and urged the Israelis to relax tough restrictions on the type of goods that are allowed across the border. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reinforced this message during the reconstruction conference in Sharm el-Sheikh on 2 March 2009.

Russia: Press Freedom

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the BBC World Service on the media situation in Russia.

Caroline Flint: The BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have had a number of discussions about Russia at working level over the last year, including on the media environment and the BBC World Service's proposals to maximise its impact in this challenging market. I also had discussions on Russia with the BBC World Service senior management at the annual ministerial meeting with the BBC World Service on 11 December 2008.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Sri Lanka on its compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Bill Rammell: Our high commission in Colombo continues to lobby strongly for the UN guiding principles on internal displacement to be upheld for all the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. The Department for International Development (DfID) and other donor organisations are prioritising messages around protection, access, safety and freedom of movement of IDPs. DfID and other donors are only considering support to projects that are temporary in nature and will review their continued collective involvement after three months, in light of the Government's progress with the other key principles.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the Prime Minister's special envoy has taken to facilitate peace in Sri Lanka in the last three months; how many times he has (i) corresponded and (ii) had discussions with the government of Sri Lanka on the political situation in that country in the last three months; what reports he has received of the number of people killed in the conflict in Sri Lanka (A) in total and (B) in the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear to the House on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 140, the recent military advances by the Sri Lankan government and the subsequent humanitarian crisis is of continuing serious concern.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire and has made clear our view that a political solution addressing the legitimate concerns of all communities in Sri Lanka is the only way to bring a sustainable end to the conflict.
	Given our concerns, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister appointed my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) as his special envoy for Sri Lanka on 12 February 2009. He has attended briefing meetings with Ministers, parliamentarians and officials. He has also met with international partners who share our concerns on the situation in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government has yet to accept the appointment.
	We are in regular contact with the government of Sri Lanka. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to President Rajapakse in January. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to both President Rajapakse and Foreign Minister Bogollagama on a number of occasions regarding the situation in Sri Lanka, most recently on 16 February 2009. Officials at our high commission maintain regular contact with the Sri Lankan government.
	It is not possible to obtain accurate information on the number of casualties killed in recent fighting, due to the ongoing military hostilities and the lack of independent information emerging from northern Sri Lanka. Various reports estimate that over 70,000 people have died in the Sri Lankan conflict since it began in 1983.

Terrorism: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1413W, on terrorism: finance, how much his Department plans to spend  (a) in each country and  (b) on each type of project in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Bill Rammell: The £80 million allocated to tackle radicalisation and promote understanding overseas will be £20 million, £23 million and £37 million over three years from 2008-09 to 2010-11 respectively. We expect spending to be focused on south and south-east Asia, the middle-east, north and east Africa. Allocations depend both on the priority accorded to that country and the quality of project proposals submitted for funding.
	Projects include work to strengthen institutions, counter grievances and increase the resilience of communities to radicalisation.

Terrorism: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1413W, on terrorism: finance, what criteria his Department is using to allocate funding to  (a) countries and  (b) projects; and how he plans to assess the effectiveness of such expenditure.

Bill Rammell: Criteria for allocating funding to counter radicalisation work in specific countries are based on an assessment across Government of the threat to the UK and UK interests overseas from and in that country. Individual projects are assessed on the contribution they can make to reduce the threat. Project impact is carefully monitored through a process agreed with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and the National Audit Office.

Thailand: Missing Persons

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the government of Thailand on the safety and whereabouts of the 126 people from the Rohingya ethnic group recently reported as missing by the United Nations.

Bill Rammell: We are concerned by reports of mistreatment of 'boatpeople' from the Rohingya ethnic group by the Thai authorities. We have raised the issue with the Thai Government at the highest levels on a number of occasions. Most recently, my noble Friend, the Minister for Asia, Africa and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, discussed the issue with the Thai Prime Minister during his visit to Thailand on 27 February 2009.
	Working with EU partners, and in close consultation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we will continue to press the Thai authorities to establish the facts and hold those responsible for any wrongdoing to account.
	We welcome Prime Minister Abhisit's assurances that the Thai authorities are working with the UNHCR on a regional response to the increasing number of ethnic Rohingya people fleeing Burma. To be effective, any solution must address the root causes of the problem: poor governance in Burma, discrimination, human rights abuse and extreme economic deprivation in Northern Rakhine State.

Tony Blair

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 893W, on Tony Blair, what proportion of Tony Blair's office costs as Quartet Representative the contribution to the UN Development Trust Fund represents.

Bill Rammell: The UN Development Trust Fund consists of US dollars (USD) 10.4 million and is used to fund the Office of the Quartet Representative. The UK contribution to this fund in 2007 was £400,000, which by the exchange rate of that date was equivalent to approximately USD 800,000. Therefore, the UK contribution represented approximately 7.7 per cent. of the total Trust Fund.

Western Sahara: Fisheries

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the exclusion of Western Saharan waters from any new agreement to replace the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement when it expires.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 382W.

Western Sahara: Fisheries

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement with international law in respect of its application to waters off Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: The EU-Morocco Fisheries agreement sets fishing priorities for EU Community vessels in the Moroccan fishing zone or, as defined in article 2 of the agreement, "in the waters over which the Kingdom of Morocco has sovereignty or jurisdiction". This approach is in conformity with international law and with the legal opinion of the UN as of 29 January 2002.
	Morocco is the administrative authority of Western Sahara and it is the obligation of the Moroccan side to assure the full application of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement in accordance with its obligations under international law. There are no references to the Western Sahara in the agreement and this was already the case in the previous agreement between the EC and Morocco.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on human rights monitoring in  (a) Western Sahara and  (b) the refugee camps near Tindouf.

Bill Rammell: Our officials visited Western Sahara in February 2009 and met with representatives from across the spectrum of interested parties. During the visit civil society organisations made representations on human rights monitoring in Western Sahara and the refugee camps in Tindouf.
	The UK has a strong interest in human rights issues in Western Sahara and in Tindouf and continues to monitor the situation carefully. Our official will be visiting the camps in Tindouf in March 2009.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 240W, on Western Sahara: politics and government, whether the discussions between EU member states, the European Commission and Morocco have included a request to Morocco to comply with UN resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: Western Sahara was discussed during the EU-Morocco Association Council on 13 October 2008. During the meeting the EU stated its regret at the lack of progress towards settlement of the dispute over Western Sahara and reaffirmed that the next Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General must resume and continue the work of their predecessor.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 243941, tabled on 10 December 2008, on the effect of exchange rate movements on the cost of subscriptions to international organisations.

David Miliband: The right hon. Member's question was answered on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1238W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 243942, tabled on 10 December 2008, on the cost of subscriptions to international organisations by his Department.

David Miliband: The right hon. Member's question was answered on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column, 1239W. The delay in replying was due to administrative error.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 243846, tabled on 10 December 2008, on departmental public expenditure.

David Miliband: The right hon. Member's question was answered on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1237W.

DEFENCE

Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what animal welfare specialists are on his Department's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee.

Quentin Davies: Professor Tim Morris BVM PhD MRCVS, Director of Equine Science and Welfare for the British Horseracing Authority, was a member of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) but has now stood down. Membership of AWAC is currently under review.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans have had war pensions withdrawn in each year since 1997; and on what grounds such pensions were withdrawn.

Kevan Jones: Information is not available for the whole period mentioned, or in the form requested because reasons for cessation of pension are not routinely recorded. The principal reason for the cessation of a war disablement pension is death.
	The following table provides the information that is available.
	
		
			  Numbers of withdrawn disablement pensions by reason and year( 1) 
			   Total  Death  Reason not recorded  Reduction in assessment( 2) 
			 2003 13,630 10,560 3,050 20 
			 2004 13,055 10,240 2,800 15 
			 2005 12,275 9,840 2,415 20 
			 2006 11,535 9,535 1,985 15 
			 2007 11,050 9,295 1,745 10 
			 January to September 2008 8,125 6,840 1,280 5 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 for data protection purposes. Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals. (2) The claimant was originally awarded at a disablement percentage of 20 per cent. or more and the disablement percentage decreased to below 20 per cent. following re-assessment on review or appeal. 
		
	
	In addition, rounded to the nearest five, five beneficiaries under the War Pension Polish Forces Scheme have lost their pension on return to live in Poland.

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State what levels of academic qualification were reached by recruits to the  (a) Army,  (b) Navy and  (c) Air Force in 2008; and how many recruits at each level there were.

Bob Ainsworth: The information on academic qualifications of recruits is not held in the format requested and differs between the three services. However, the available data for the Navy and Army is provided as follows: the Navy section providing a breakdown of the academic qualifications overall, while the Army section offers a summary split by officer and other ranks. Unfortunately, due to IT problems within the RAF it is not currently possible to extract the necessary data. I will write to the hon. Member with information for the RAF when this is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Navy
	The following table reflects the numbers of each qualification held by all new recruits who joined between 1 January-31 December 2008.
	
		
			Number 
			 Level 7 Masters 2 
			 Level 6 Bachelors 46 
			 Level 5 BTEC HNCs, HNDs, Foundation Degrees and HNDs 14 
			 Level 4 CHE 1 
			 Level 3 A levels 436 
			  AS Levels 282 
			  GNVQ Advanced 9 
			  BTEC National Certificate 27 
			  BTEC National Diploma 59 
			  NVQ Level 3 24 
			  Key Skills Level 3 30 
			  VCE Double award 1 
			  VCE A Level 1 
			  VCE AS Level 1 
			 Level 2 GCSEs A-C 5250 
			  BTEC First Diplomas 29 
			  BTEC First Certificate 7 
			  NVQ Level 2 112 
			  GNVQ Intermediate 61 
			  Key Skills Level 2 387 
			 Level 1 GCSE D-G 484 
			  GNVQ Foundation 8 
			  Key Skills Level 1 183 
			  NVQ Level 1 49 
		
	
	In addition, here are the figures for the Scottish qualifications framework.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Scottish Advanced Higher 3 
			 Scottish National Certificate 1 
			 Scottish Higher 89 
			 Scottish Intermediate 1 48 
			 Scottish Intermediate 2 97 
			 Scottish Standard A-C 590 
			 Scottish Standard D-G 37 
		
	
	Recruits were also recorded as having 658; Basic Skills', 39 'GCEs', two 'CSEs' and three Modern apprenticeships.
	 A rmy
	Basic Skills Levels—The Army reflects the national basic skills picture (within 1 per cent.). Roughly 45 per cent. of all soldiers joining the Army are below Level 1 (GCSE D-G) but since August 2003 80 per cent. of soldiers achieve LI literacy and numeracy within three years. Since 2002, 21,874 national literacy and numeracy qualifications have been awarded to soldiers.
	Apprenticeships—65 per cent. of soldiers (4,800) embark on an apprenticeship at either Level 2 (GCSE A*-C) or 3 (A Level) either within Phase 2 training or the Field Army. The Army's achievement rate of apprenticeships is 75 per cent. compared to the national average of 60 per cent. Apprenticeships also include support for literacy and numeracy and as part of the apprenticeship soldiers gain Level 1 literacy and numeracy qualifications.
	Accreditation—The majority of training within the Army is accredited to nationally recognised qualifications (March 2007 to April 2008 there were 15,451 Awards). These awards range from Level 1 qualifications through to masters degrees.
	Learning credits—All soldiers are entitled to claim learning credits to support their elective educational courses which include academic and vocational qualifications.
	 Officers
	In 2007-08, 585 cadets who commenced training at the Royal Military academy Sandhurst (RMAS) were graduate entrants this represents 82 per cent. of a total of 715 who began the standard career courses.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Sally Keeble:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 1867W, about levels of academic qualification reached by recruits joining the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force.
	This data for the RAF is now available and is set out in the table below.
	The information shows the total number of RAF recruits who hold specific qualifications for 2008. Many recruits will be counted more than once since they have more than one type of qualification.
	
		
			  Qualification  Types for RAF Recruits  1  January  2008  to 31 December  2008 
			   Number 
			  Sec/FE  qualification type  
			 Advanced Extension Award 2 
			 Advanced Placement 1 
			 Advanced Subsidiary Vocational Certificate of Education 2 
			 Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education Double Award 4 
			 Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education Single Award 3 
			 Basic Skills 293 
			 BTEC First Certificate 8 
			 BTEC First Diploma 5 
			 BTEC Higher National Certificate 14 
			 BTEC Intermediate 18 
			 BTEC National Certificate 33 
			 BTEC National Diploma 21 
			 Certificate in Management Studies 2 
			 Certificate of Secondary Education 8 
			 Certificate of Sixth Year Studies 3 
			 City & Guilds Level 1 9 
			 City & Guilds Level 2 4 
			 City & Guilds Level 3 2 
			 City & Guilds Level 4 1 
			 Diploma 2 
			 Diploma in Higher Education 2 
			 Diploma in Nursery Nursing 1 
			 Foundation Course 1 
			 Free Standing maths 1 
			 GCE Advanced Level 398 
			 GCE Advanced Level 2 25 
			 GCE Advanced Level (Special Papers) 2 
			 GCE Advanced Subsidiary 225 
			 GCE Advanced Supplementary Level 15 
			 GCE Alternative Ordinary Level 2 
			 GCE Ordinary Level 24 
			 GCSE Double Award 72 
			 GCSE short course. 91 
			 General Certificate of Secondary Education 576 
			 General National Vocational Qualification 2 
			 GNVQ Advanced 2 
			 GNVQ Foundation 1 
			 GNVQ Intermediate 16 
			 Institute of Financial Services CIB Level 3 Certificate 1 
			 International Certificate of Education 1 
			 International GCSE 12 
			 Key Skills Level 2 7 
			 Key Skills Level 3 2 
			 Modern Apprenticeship 6 
			 New Zealand Higher School Certificate 1 
			 NVQ Level 1 2 
			 NVQ Level 2 16 
			 NVQ Level 3 23 
			 NVQ Level 4 4 
			 Open University 60 pt course 1 
			 Royal Society of Arts Stage 1 6 
			 Royal Society of Arts Stage 2 3 
			 SA Year 12 Certificate of Achievement 1 
			 SCE Advanced Higher Grade 12 
			 SCE Higher Grade 51 
			 SCE Higher Still 2 
			 SCE Intermediate 1 1 
			 SCE Intermediate 2 9 
			 SCE Standard Grade 49 
			 Scottish Certificate of Education 0 Grade 7 
			 Scottish Higher Unit 2 
			 SQA Higher National Certificate 3 
			 SQA Higher National Diploma 1 
			 SVQ Level 3 1 
			 West African Senior School Certificate 1 
			   
			  Uni/ Highe r/ Prof Qual  qual type  
			 Bachelor 1 
			 Bachelor of Architecture 1 
			 Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) 1 
			 Bachelor of Arts 26 
			 Bachelor of Arts (Hons) 48 
			 Bachelor of Dental Surgery 3 
			 Bachelor of Education 1 
			 Bachelor of Education (Hons) 3 
			 Bachelor of Engineering 29 
			 Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) 19 
			 Bachelor of Law 4 
			 Bachelor of Law (Hons) 4 
			 Bachelor of Medicine 10 
			 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery 2 
			 Bachelor of Medicine (Hons) 2 
			 Bachelor of Music 1 
			 Bachelor of Science 48 
			 Bachelor of Science (Hons) 73 
			 Bachelor of Science in Economics 3 
			 Bachelor of Social Science 1 
			 Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) 1 
			 Bachelor of Surgery 1 
			 Bachelor of Surgery (Hons) 1 
			 Bar Vocational Course 1 
			 BTEC Higher National Diploma 4 
			 Certificate of Education 1 
			 Degree 3 
			 Diploma of Higher Education 6 
			 Master of Arts 9 
			 Master of Biological Studies 1 
			 Master of Education 1 
			 Master of Engineering 28 
			 Master of Science 3 
			 Masters in Chemistry 1 
			 MBChB 2 
			 Postgraduate Certificate in Education 5 
			 Post Graduate Diploma 2 
			 Post Graduate Diploma in Law 1 
		
	
	I will place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Armed Forces: Transsexuality

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on its policy for the recruitment and management of transsexual personnel in the Armed Forces; how many members of staff were engaged in preparing the policy; and how many meetings his Department has held with representatives of organisations representing transsexual personnel in preparing the policy.

Kevan Jones: The tri-service policy for the recruitment and management of transsexual personnel in the armed forces was prepared as part of the Department's normal business; accordingly no additional staff costs were incurred. The policy was drafted by staff in the armed forces' diversity team in consultation with personnel from the single-service equality and diversity teams, legal advisers and medical staff. Advice was also sought from a:gender, the support network for staff in Government Departments and agencies who have permanently changed their perceived gender, but no meetings were held with them.

Colombia: Drugs

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department provides  (a) funding and  (b) training for counter-narcotics work in Colombia.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 737W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Typhoon Future Capability programme was on 31 March  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information is shown in the following table, which includes the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases.
	
		
			  £  million 
			   31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL 13 18 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 39 34 
			 Capital DEL 436 428 
			 Total 488 480

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column 683W, to the hon. Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins).

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Kevan Jones: The number of persons appointed to executive positions in the senior civil service in the Ministry of Defence since 1 April 2004 who previously had careers in the banking industry is four. Information for grades below the SCS is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1620W.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Outside contractors are employed to conduct staff surveys only where the necessary work cannot be undertaken in house and where there is a clear value for money benefit for the MOD.

Departmental Training

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Hammersmith and Fulham of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1994W, on departmental training, what form the pre-deployment training took; where it was held; how much it cost; and which Ministers undertook it.

Kevan Jones: All current Defence Ministers have received mandatory briefings on safety and security and survival, evasion, resistance and extraction prior to visiting operational theatres. The training took place in central London. Details of the small additional costs, relating only to travel and subsistence for the trainers, are not held centrally.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) financial and  (b) staff resources his Department provided for the European Defence Agency in 2007-08.

John Hutton: The UK financial contribution to the European Defence Agency running costs and operational budgets in 2007-08 was £1.95 million. The UK Ministry of Defence provides five members to the permanent staff of the EDA, paid from the Agency's staff budget, and seconds one further officer at national expense.

Helicopters

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters  (a) have been repainted for desert conditions,  (b) are awaiting a repaint for desert conditions and  (c) have been withheld from frontline duty as a result of incorrect camouflage colours in the last 12 months.

Quentin Davies: None. UK military helicopters are not currently painted a specific colour for operating in desert conditions.

HMS Superb

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to publish the Board of Inquiry report on the incident on HMS Superb in the Red Sea in May 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: It is planned to publish the Board of Inquiry report into the grounding of HMS Superb in the Red sea in May 2008 once all parallel investigations are complete.

Naval Bases

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the Government's proposals for HM Naval Base Plymouth Devonport.

Bob Ainsworth: The scope of work carried out at the three naval bases (Portsmouth, Devonport and on the Clyde) is currently being considered as part of the Maritime Change Programme. This work is now reaching its conclusion, although we need to ensure that final decisions are fully aligned with the changes to the equipment programme announced in December 2008. An announcement on the Maritime Change Programme will be made as soon as is practicable.

Navy: Deployment

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1878W, on Navy: deployment, what the outcome of his Department's consideration of the commitment of naval resources to combat arms smuggling into Gaza has been; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We are currently exploring a number of contingency options directed at countering arms smuggling into Gaza.
	As part of this process, the UK participated in a conference on the 4-5 February in Copenhagen discussing how the international community might strengthen its efforts to help prevent the illicit flow of weapons into Gaza and agreed to meet again to explore further the measures discussed.
	The UK will host the next conference in London on 13 March.

Nimrod Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made  (a) of the initial acquisition cost and  (b) the through-life cost of (i) the Helix mission system and (ii) the aircraft which will carry the mission system.

Quentin Davies: The acquisition and through life costs of the three options being considered (the Nimrod R1 and the Nimrod MRA4 platforms with a bespoke mission system and the US Rivet Joint system) to meet the Helix requirement are being assessed as part of the preparations for a main investment decision expected in 2009.

Nimrod Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the successor aircraft to the Nimrod R1 is planned to achieve full operational capability; and whether the R1 and its successor aircraft are planned to operate in tandem pending full operational capability of the successor aircraft.

Quentin Davies: Key dates for a successor to the Nimrod R1 system and any necessary transition arrangements between the two will be agreed at the main investment decision point which is expected in 2009.

Nuclear Weapons: Research

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the source is of the funding for the joint US/UK warhead research taking place at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston.

John Hutton: The Atomic Weapons Establishment undertakes research to ensure the continued safety, security, and performance of the United Kingdom's nuclear stockpile. Additionally, it is currently assisting the Ministry of Defence in reviewing the optimum life of the existing warhead stockpile and analysing the range of replacement options that might be available. This work, some of which is being undertaken with the United States under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement, will inform decisions likely to be necessary in the next Parliament on the need to refurbish or replace the current warhead. The funding for this work is met by the UK Defence budget.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has commissioned research on the latency of post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003.

Kevan Jones: Since 2003 there has been one study commissioned by the Ministry of Defence into the latency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) conducted by University College London. The purpose of the study was to determine the existence or otherwise of delayed-onset PTSD and its prevalence among veterans in receipt of a war pension. The findings of the study are due to be published later this year.

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies have spent on  (a) opinion polling,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other forms of market research in each year since 1997; what such surveys have been commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Kevan Jones: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, records are available of the amounts spent on polling and focus groups by the central media and communications organisation dating back to 2001-02. Earlier records are not available.
	It is not possible to split out the costs of opinion polls and focus groups, the figures provided will include both these elements.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 81,928 
			 2002-03 24,639 
			 2003-04 130,983 
			 2004-05 79,320 
			 2005-06 274,056 
			 2006-07 252,983 
			 2007-08 185,272 
			 2008-09 (1)144,000 
			 (1) Spend to date 
		
	
	These costs relate to polling carried out by our central media and communications division to establish attitudes of the public to various aspects of defence activity.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Kevan Jones: The MOD currently recognises the following trade unions and staff associations which represent staff in a wide range of grades, trades and professions.
	 Non-Industrial Trade Unions:
	FDA
	Prospect
	PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union)
	 Industrial Trade Unions:
	Unite (Amicus Section)
	Unite (Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) Section)
	GMB (General and Municipal Boilermakers)
	UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians)
	 Staff Associations:
	CPOA (Chief Police Officers Association)
	DPF (Defence Police Federation)
	ROA (Retired Officers Association)
	 Maritime Trade Unions:
	Nautilus UK
	RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers)
	 Medical Grades and Civilian Practitioners:
	BMA (British Medical Association)
	 Teaching Grades:
	ATL (The Association of Teachers and Lecturers)
	NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers)
	NASUWT (The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers)
	NUT (National Union of Teachers)
	ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders
	 Locally Engaged Civilians Overseas :
	 Germany:
	Ver.di (Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft)
	 Gibraltar:
	Unite (TGWU Section)
	Unite (TGWU Section)—ACTSS (Association of Clerical Technical and Supervisory Staff)
	Prospect—GGCA (Gibraltar General and Clerical Association)
	Gibraltar Services Police Staff Association
	 Cyprus:
	SEK (Federation of Government, Military and Civil Service Workers)
	PEO (Pan Cyprian Federation of Labour—Government/Military and Social Institute Servants)
	PASYDY (Pancyprian Public Servants' Trade Union)
	TURK-SEN (Turkish Cypriot Trade Union Federation)
	SBA (Sovereign Bases Abroad) Police Association.

JUSTICE

Court of Protection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of an application to the Court of Protection was in the latest period for which information is available.

Bridget Prentice: The average cost of a fee paying application to the Court of Protection between 1 April 2008 and 28 February 2009 was £390.00. This average is based on all applications made whether a fee was due, was exempted, or was remitted.

Court of Protection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money is being held under the Court of Protection.

Bridget Prentice: Prior to October 2007, when a receiver was appointed by the then Court of Protection to manage the financial affairs of a person who lacked capacity, the court had the option of directing funds to be lodged into court. Those funds were held in the name of the Accountant General of the Supreme Court and administered by the Court Funds Office.
	Since October 2007, when the Mental Capacity Act 2005 came into force, deputies appointed by the new Court of Protection have been able to choose to lodge funds similarly in court.
	As at 31 December 2008 the Court Funds Office held approximately £3.2 billion of funds on behalf of Court of Protection clients.

Court of Protection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long the average application to the Court of Protection took to be processed in the latest period for which information is available.

Bridget Prentice: Between 1 February 2008 and 31 January 2009, the average time taken to process a court application was 14.5 weeks. This figure represents all of the orders made and dispatched by the court during this period, including cases where the court decided the matter by holding a hearing attended by the parties.

Debt Collection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government plans to introduce regulations permitting bailiffs to use force against the person.

Bridget Prentice: A commitment was given during the parliamentary passage of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act—31 January 2007,  Official Report, column 283—that no such regulations will be introduced unless consultations with all sides of the enforcement and debt advice industries has taken place and shown such powers to be desirable and necessary.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks;
	(2)  what auditing his Department undertakes to ensure that IT security policies are being followed; and on how many occasions  (a) IT security policies have been breached by employees and  (b) a member of staff has been sanctioned for a breach of such policies in the last 12 months;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy;
	(4)  what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months;
	(5)  what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when it leaves departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Jack Straw: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	Because of the potential security threat, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific technical measures deployed to protect the Departments IT networks.
	Compliance arrangements comprise a system of self assessment, accreditation, assurance reporting, audit and review.
	There have been no reported breaches of the Department's IT systems in the last 12 months. Central records show that, for this period, 41 staff have been subject to disciplinary action for breaches of IT security policy. The types of incidents involved would have included, but not exclusively, mis-use of email, internet browsing, incorrect use of passwords and login details. None of the incidents compromised the integrity of the Department's systems.
	The Department's security governance arrangements are consistent with the mandatory requirements set out in the HM Government Security Policy Framework (SPF). The Permanent Secretary, as Accounting Officer has overall responsibility for all aspects of security. The Departmental Security Officer (DSO) supports the Permanent Secretary by providing advice on policy and procedure. The IT Security Officer (ITSO) supports the DSO by developing, implementing, reviewing and advising upon IT security policy. There are currently separate ITSOs working in the major business units brought together as the Ministry of Justice.
	It is not in the interest of the security of the Department, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to electronic breaches of security of Department's IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the Department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.
	Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available for failure to comply with the policies, including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Fixed Penalties: Richmond Park

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for introducing fixed penalty notices for minor offences committed in Richmond Park.

Maria Eagle: The offences of littering, dog-fouling and illegal cycling committed in Royal Parks, such as Richmond park, are included in a proposed list of offences which could attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND) on which the Government intend to consult shortly. Regulations currently preclude the use of fixed penalties for these offences inside the Royal Parks.
	The consultation period will last three months from the date of issue of the consultation paper. Subject to the response of the consultation, the Government intend to lay an order adding new offences to the PND scheme before Parliament before summer recess. New offences are added by means of secondary legislation under the affirmative resolution procedure.

Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are used in deciding on whether to use a ministerial veto under section 53 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I placed in the Libraries of both Houses a copy of the criteria used in considering the first exercise of the veto when I made my statement to the House on this matter on 24 February 2009,  Official Report , column 153. These criteria apply to cases engaging section 35(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The criteria are also published on the Ministry of Justice website.

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Over the past five years, the Ministry of Justice has run events for staff in different parts of the country and produced facts, posters and magazines.
	In 2005, the cost was £2,350.00;
	In 2006, the cost was £2,375.00;
	In 2007, the cost was £5,798.00;
	In 2008, the cost was £1,734.00; and
	In 2009, the cost was reduced to £470.00.

National Offender Management Service: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will detail the budget for the National Offender Management Service Headquarters for 2007-08, as contained in the National Offender Management Service Strategic and Business Plans 2009-10 to 2010-11, broken down by type of expenditure.

Maria Eagle: The following table provides a breakdown of the actual expenditure for the National Offender Management Service Headquarters (NOMS HQ) for 2007-08, which is more up to date than the planning figure shown in the NOMS Strategic and Business Plan. Many of the functions delivered by NOMS during 2007-08 transferred to the new NOMS Agency as part of a restructured Ministry of Justice on 1 April 2008.
	Although the item in the plan is described as NOMS HQ it is not simply the headquarters function. The following table shows that the majority of the expenditure was related to centrally managed front line services, including electronic monitoring, prisoner escort services and prison and probation property. Other services at the centre of NOMS such as the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, HM Inspector of Prisons and Public Protection are directly related to front line services.
	NOMS HQ administration costs (as used in the Supply Estimates and MoJ Resource Accounts), in 2007-08 were £76 million; or £151 million if HM Prison Service's administration costs are included. This is 1.6 per cent. or 3.2 per cent. respectively of the total NOMS resource expenditure.
	NOMS HQ expenditure for 2007-08 can be analysed as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Prison and Probation Property and Estates and Capacity Planning 557 
			 Electronic Monitoring 84 
			 Prisoner Escort Service (includes Operation Safeguard) 212 
			 Other Programme expenditure 185 
			 Administration Costs expenditure 76 
			 Total resource expenditure 1,114 
		
	
	The £557 million expenditure on Prison and Probation Property and Estates and Capacity Planning relates to costs associated with the custodial and the probation estate including: capital charges; estate management including major maintenance; and, where applicable rent, rates, insurance and utilities.

Prisoner Escapes

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research he has commissioned on the motivation for prisoner absconds.

David Hanson: Research was undertaken in 2004 by the Home Office research development and statistics department into the types of prisoner most at risk of absconding. Open prisons now routinely assess risk of prisoners absconding when they arrive at the prison and take a variety of other actions to help reduce absconding. The rate of absconding continues to fall and the number of absconds are at their lowest level since centralised reporting of this type of incident began in 1995.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the  (a) average and  (b) maximum additional cost of a prisoner with mental health problems compared to a prisoner without mental health problems in 2008.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	We do not hold this information centrally.

Prisons: Organised Crime

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) gangs recorded by the Prison Service and  (b) other gangs have been identified in each prison in England and Wales.

Jack Straw: The identification of 'gangs' in prison is not always straightforward given the loose nature of some affiliations and the inherent difficulties of defining a 'gang' separately from other group affiliations. NOMS is currently undertaking scoping work to provide a strengthened response to gangs.
	Historically, gang-related issues have been and continue to be managed within the overall framework to manage prisons and provide a safe and decent environment. In some establishments, where gang-related issues are more problematic, governors have started work with local police forces to share information on gang members and gang affiliations. Studies have also commenced into extremist gang-related activities and HMCIP (along with HM Inspector of Constabulary and HM Inspector of Probation) has commenced a thematic review into juvenile gangs, encompassing juvenile gangs in prison and the wider community.

Prisons: Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the procedure is for extending the designation of a prison to include a young offender institution;
	(2)  which prisons have extended their designation to include a young offender institution in the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Once it has been decided that the role of a prison should be changed to include the holding of young offenders, a revised designation is prepared and signed by the Director-General of the National Offender Management Service.
	It would be difficult and could be attempted only at disproportionate cost to identify which prisons have extended their designation, as many designation certificates may have changed a number of times over the past 10 years. As set out in the Ministry of Justice, NOMS Agency (HM Prison Service) annual report and accounts 2007-08, there are 14 closed male young offender institutions (YOIs) and one open YOI.

Reoffenders

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were charged with each category of violent offence whilst being supervised by the Probation Service in  (a) Leeds,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) England and Wales in the last (i) six months, (ii) year and (iii) five years.

David Hanson: The national offender management service holds information on the number of offenders charged with serious further (violent) offences whilst under probation supervision for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and for the first six months of 2008-09. However, this does not include all types of violent offence and it is not broken down by town or city. To provide the full information requested would require manual checking of files, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table contains data on the number of offenders who were charged with certain violent offences, where there was a requirement initially to notify the national offender management service, in line with the serious further offence probation circulars 06/2006 and 41/2006.
	The offender management caseload statistics, which are published annually, include data on the number of offenders under probation supervision who are charged with serious further offences and whose cases proceed to review, as defined by the relevant probation circulars. Those data are updated to show outcomes, that is, convictions, acquittals, convictions for lesser offences and charges dropped.
	The number of offenders convicted of a serious further offence is around 0.35 per cent. of the caseload of the probation service nationally.
	
		
			  Table: Notifications of serious further offence (violent offence) charges received by national offender management service for 2006-07, 2007-08 and the first 6 months of 2008-09 (below) 
			   2006-07  2007-08  1 April 2008-30  September 2008 
			  Serious violent offence description  West Yorkshire initial notifications  England and Wales initial notifications  West Yorkshire initial notifications  England and Wales initial notifications  West Yorkshire initial notifications  England and Wales initial notifications 
			 Aggravated burglary (section 10 of the Theft Act 1968) — — 1 26 1 75 
			 Aggravated theft — 75 5 59 — — 
			 Aggravated vehicle-taking involving an accident which caused the death of any person (Section 12A of the Theft Act 1968) — — — — — 1 
			 Arson (section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971) 1 90 3 93 2 42 
			 Attempt to cause explosion, or making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property (section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883) — — — — — 1 
			 Attempt to commit murder or a conspiracy to commit murder 1 47 3 62 1 21 
			 Attempting to choke, suffocate or strangle in order to commit or assist in committing an indictable offence (section 21 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861) — — — 1 — — 
			 Burglary with intent to- (a) inflict grievous bodily harm on a person or (b) do unlawful damage to a building or anything in it. (section 9 of the Theft Act 1968) — — — 11 — 17 
			 Carrying a firearm with criminal intent (section 18 of the Firearms Act 1968) — — — 2 — 1 
			 Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult, also called 'familial homicide' (Section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004) — — — — — — 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs (section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988) — 1 — 2 — 2 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving (section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988) — 14 — 8 1 6 
			 Destroying or damaging property other than an offence of arson (section 1(2) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971) — — — 1 — — 
			 False imprisonment 3 56 2 60 3 35 
			 Kidnapping 5 65 4 76 1 39 
			 Manslaughter 2 7 1 9 — 4 
			 Murder 6 129 9 107 4 64 
			 Other explosives offences — 2 — — — — 
			 Other offences against the person 2 22 — 15 — 1 
			 Other serious violent offence 1 92 2 65 — 5 
			 Possession of firearm at time of committing or being arrested for offence specified in Schedule 1 to that Act (section 17(2) of the Firearms Act 1968) — — — 5 — 10 
			 Possession of firearm with intent to endanger life (section 16 of the Firearms Act 1968) — — — 4 4 20 
			 Robbery or assault with intent to rob (section 8 of the Theft Act 1968) — 1 — 11 2 18 
			 Soliciting murder (section 4 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861) — — — — — 1 
			 Use of firearm to resist arrest (section 17(1) of the Firearms Act 1968) — — — — — — 
			 Serious firearms offences (SFO) 4 55 6 96 — — 
			 Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (section 18 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861) 24 454 27 567 16 352 
			 Total 49 1,110 63 1,280 35 715

Reoffenders

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were charged with offences whilst being supervised by the Probation Service in  (a) Leeds,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) England and Wales in the last (i) six months, (ii) year and (iii) five years.

David Hanson: The number of offenders that were charged with offences whilst being supervised by the probation service is not available. This is because the extract of the police national computer held by the Ministry of Justice does not provide comprehensive coverage of charges. Data relating to the offending of offenders under probation supervision is based on proven reoffending—offences which have led to a conviction or a caution.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times handcuffs were used on children of each age, ethnicity and sex in each secure training centre in each month since January 2008.

David Hanson: Between January and December 2008 (the latest data available), handcuffs were used in secure training centres on eight occasions, as shown in the following table.
	YJB guidance to all secure training centres (STCs) is that handcuffs should only be used in exceptional circumstances, as set out in the contracts.
	Any use of handcuffs must be approved by the director of the establishment. In 2008, handcuffs were used on only eight occasions: that represents a reduction of over 80 per cent. since 2006.
	
		
			   2008 
			   March  Jun e  Ju ly  October  December 
			  Hassockfield — — — — — 
			 14, white, male — 1 — — 1 
			 14, other, male — 1 — — — 
			 15, black, male 2 — — — — 
			 15, other, male — — — 2 — 
			  Oakhill — — — — — 
			 14, white, male — — 1 — — 
			  Source: This information has been provided by the Youth Justice Board.

Shoplifting: Fixed Penalties

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1548W, on shoplifting: fixed penalties, what length of time should have passed before a previous shoplifting offence should be taken into account when considering whether to issue a second penalty notice; and whether the ability of the offender to pay is taken into account in deciding whether to issue a second notice.

Jack Straw: Further to the reply given on 9 February, the guidance is designed to help with the exercise of a police officer's discretion in issuing a penalty notice for disorder. No specific time period is set after which a further PND may be issued, but the guidance to forces makes clear that it will not be appropriate to do so where there has been another shoplifting offence in the recent past.
	No means testing is involved in the issue of a penalty notice for disorder for a first or subsequent offence. The success of the scheme depends on the speed and simplicity of issuing a ticket. The existing guidance states that a penalty notice for disorder will not be appropriate where no satisfactory address exists for enforcement purposes, possibly because the suspect may be homeless or sleeping rough.

Television: Licensing

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been for television licence fee evasion in each year since 2005.

Maria Eagle: Data showing defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for TV licence evasion in England and Wales, from 2005-07 are shown in the following table. The Criminal Statistics data for 2008 are due to be published in November 2009.
	The statistics relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for television licence evasion, England and Wales, 2005-07( 1, 2) 
			   Number 
			 2005(3) 122,961 
			 2006(3) 130,130 
			 2007(4) 135,548 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) As well as television licence evasion, these data include proceedings for summary offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 to 1967. (4) These figures relate to the offence television licence evasion—Communications Act 2003.

Witnesses: Disabled

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to ensure that witness statements from disabled adults who communicate using non-formal methods can be accepted in courts.

Maria Eagle: In the criminal courts statements from disabled adults who use non-formal methods of communication are treated in the same way as statements from a witness whose first language is not English.
	When taking a statement from a witness who requires assistance with communication, the police interview is conducted with necessary assistance, such as an accredited deaf signer, an intermediary, or communication aids or relay interpreters where more than one form of communication is required. The statement is written by the police officer following the witness interview and then communicated back to the witness, with any necessary assistance to check its accuracy before the witness is invited to sign it.
	So far as the admissibility of the statement is concerned, this is a matter for the court to determine in each case. Written statements are admissible in certain circumstances but normally a witness would give evidence orally in court, again with any necessary assistance with communication.
	In the civil courts there are no plans to change the current arrangements in respect of witness statements. Each court has a customer service officer who is able to assist users by providing services such as hearing loops, sign language or lip speakers. When required, arrangements may be made to give evidence outside the court room, for example in a hospital. The judge, parties and court staff adopt a flexible approach to allow each case to be dealt with individually according to the circumstances of the person concerned and to accommodate any special needs.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to answer question 254428, on offences relating to domestic violence, tabled on 2 February 2009.

Bridget Prentice: The question was transferred to the Solicitor-General on 4 February 2009. The Ministry of Justice's parliamentary branch wrote to the hon. Member on that day informing him of the transfer.

Youth Custody

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on sharing of prison cells between under 21-year-olds and adults on remand.

David Hanson: Establishments operate a policy that young adult remands (18 to 21-year-olds) do not cell share with adult remands. Remanded young adults are either placed into dedicated young offender institutes or into local 'adult' prisons. Where accommodation is within the main adult estate, young adults would not share with adults.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Meat

Mark Oaten: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what proportion of meat produce served in the House of Commons was Freedom Food-approved in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The situation has changed little since my previous reply on 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 475.
	In the 11 month period from April 2008 to February 2009, approximately 35 per cent. of all fresh chicken meat purchased by the House of Commons was approved under the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme. No other fresh meat purchased over the same period was Freedom Food approved, but all fresh meat was sourced only from producers demonstrating high levels of animal welfare under other recognised quality assurance schemes, such as the Assured Food Standards Board's 'Red Tractor' scheme.
	Lack of availability is the main obstacle to the House of Commons increasing the proportion of Freedom Food approved meats purchased. The Freedom Food organisation acknowledges that supply is not always available in the food service sector due to the demands of retailers and the House of Commons catering service is working closely with the organisation to try to address this issue.

Millbank Systems

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much funding the House of Commons Commission has provided to Millbank Systems in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The parliamentary service is engaged in providing greater electronic access for the public to parliamentary material and as part of this work it has developed digital access to historic  Hansard data. Millbank Systems is the name used for the experimental web domain on which the historic  Hansard digitisation content is being piloted. The cost of web hosting, which is funded by the Commons alone, was £2,500 in 2007-08 and will be £14,550 in 2008-09.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much has been  (a) budgeted and  (b) spent since April 2008 on security in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: We currently have actual figures to the end of December 2008.
	Between April 2008 and December 2008 the actual spend on the Palace of Westminster security contract (including armed police) was £22,417,500 against a budget of £22,989,900 (an underspend of £572,400). The budget for the full year is £30,902,400. These figures are the total costs for the Palace of Westminster, which are shared between the House of Commons and the House of Lords on a 69 per cent./31 per cent. basis.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Shaun Woodward: I do not have any Government Art Collection works of art on display in my office. The following artworks are on display in my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins) private office:
	"Strand on the Green" by Rodney Joseph Burn;
	"Tours" by Bernard Kay;
	"At the Ebb" by Tom Mackenzie;
	"Three Window Views" by Christine Wilkinson;
	"Battersea River-Scape" by Michael Halliday;
	"Castle Rigg I" by Susan E. Jameson; and
	"Castle Rigg II" by Susan E. Jameson.

Departmental Telephone Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what use  (a) his Department and  (b) service providers under contract to his Department made of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Department maintains the use of one 0845 number for use by members of the public. This line allows members of the public to request information on the Mentally Disordered Offenders Victim Information Scheme.
	No 0844 or 0845 telephone numbers have been used by service providers under contract to my Department.
	No revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public have been used by my Department or service providers under contract to my Department.
	There are currently no plans to introduce 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to my Department.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 978W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, if he will place in the Library  (a) a copy of the non-intervention letter sent by English Heritage and  (b) a copy of the plans that were sent to and are held by English Heritage, redacting elements which could compromise security arrangements.

Barbara Follett: I am arranging for copies of English Heritage's non-intervention letter of 7 February to Westminster city council, with regard to repairs and maintenance to 10 Downing street, to be placed in the House Libraries.
	However, I am informed by officials at 10 Downing street that for security reasons, it is their policy not to release any information about the floor plans or the layout of the Downing street complex.

Arts: South West

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government grant funding has been provided for the arts in  (a) Wiltshire and  (b) the South West in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: Government funding for the arts is made through Arts Council England according to the arm's length principle. Decisions about which arts organisations to fund are therefore, a matter for the Arts Council.
	Arts Council England advises that it provides the following grant in aid funding through its Regularly Funded Organisation programme. These figures do not include funding from the 'Grants for the Arts' initiative.
	
		
			  Regularly funded organisations 
			  £ 
			   South West  Wiltshire 
			 2003-04 11,165,267 1,322,700 
			 2004-05 12,850,250 1,472,053 
			 2005-06 14,388,251 1,583,939 
			 2006-07 15,143,175 1,682,272 
			 2007-08 15,599,030 1,728,685 
			 2008-09 16,292,393 1,775,357 
			 2009-10 17,067,300 1,873,875 
			 2010-11 17,544,491 1,924,469 
		
	
	Art Council England's predecessors, the regional arts board, were independent bodies and maintained records according to their own systems and requirements. Consequently, Arts Council England is unable to provide compatible figures for the RFO portfolio in the years before 2003-04.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what progress has been made in reducing the carbon footprint of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agency and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what progress has been made in reducing the carbon footprints of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agency and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies.

Barbara Follett: In order to set a benchmark for carbon emissions reduction, DCMS calculated a carbon footprint for the Department; the Royal Parks Agency and 16 non-departmental public bodies in 2008. Progress is being monitored by individual organisations and will be followed up by DCMS after March 2010 once an appreciable amount of data is available. Specific operational examples of reduction carried out by DCMS are the replacement of existing gas boilers with more energy efficient models and the installation of improved energy efficient light fittings, variable speed drives (systems for controlling the rotational speed of an alternating current electric motor) and air handling units. Our sponsored bodies are making similar adjustments to their operational procedures. Further examples of their actions are available in the Pathways to Sustainability section of the Department website.

Departmental Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish his Department's next annual corporate plan.

Andy Burnham: The Department's next annual corporate plan is due to be published in spring 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons he has decided to take up his Department's administration end year flexibility; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 12 February 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons he has taken up his Department's end year flexibility for museums and galleries; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 12 February 2009.

National Lottery

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to his Department's most recent simplification plan, what  (a) joint schemes and  (b) rationalisation of programmes relating to the National Lottery have been introduced.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Joint schemes allow National Lottery distributors to pool resources and funding powers to facilitate the delivery of a single distribution scheme and are subject to provisions outlined in the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended). This requires distributors wishing to participate in a joint scheme to apply in writing to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Since 2006, when the first DCMS simplification plan was published, the Secretary of State has approved:
	The Awards for All (England) joint scheme (authorisation) Order 2007, which extended the Awards for All (England) joint scheme to 31 March 2009; and
	The Parks for People (England) joint scheme (authorisation) Order 2008, which extended the Parks for People (England) joint scheme to 31 March 2015.
	 (b) Lottery Distributors regularly review and rationalise all their funding programmes, taking into account policy directions issued by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. Most recently, the Big Lottery Fund carried out a major public consultation, the views from which will help it to frame its funding strategy between 2009-15.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from which programme budgets his Department has transferred funds to assist with the costs of the Government Olympic Executive.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 12 February 2009.

Parks: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department takes steps to estimate the proportion of users of  (a) Richmond Park and  (b) Bushy Park in each (i) ethnic group and (ii) income group.

Barbara Follett: The Royal Parks advise that they run an ongoing programme of research looking at visitor profiles in all the Royal Parks, including Bushy and Richmond. The studies include data on ethnicity and socio-economic status. In addition, an in-depth study which compared park usage to detailed profiles for the wards bordering and close to the parks was undertaken in 2006.

Parks: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of the proposed car park charging regime in  (a) Richmond Park and  (b) Bushy Park on levels of usage of each park by people from low income households; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Royal Parks advise that a draft impact assessment has been produced as part of the consultation exercise into possible changes to the park regulations and published on The Royal Parks' website. The consultation expressly seeks views on the level of charges. The responses will help inform the impact of introducing a charging regime.
	I understand that a copy of the consultation document and draft impact assessment was sent to the hon. Member on 30 January.

TREASURY

Banks: Iceland

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guarantees he had received from the Icelandic authorities on the security of deposits held in Icelandic banks by UK citizens and corporations at the time that the UK agreed to support an International Monetary Fund loan to Iceland.

Ian Pearson: On 19 November the IMF announced the approval of a $2.1 billion two-year loan for Iceland to support an economic recovery programme to help Iceland restore confidence in its banking system and stabilise its currency. This includes Iceland's commitment to "ensuring the fair and equitable treatment of depositors and creditors of the intervened banks" and Iceland's recognition of its obligations to depositors under the EC Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive.

Banks: Loans

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that banks in receipt of public money maintain their lending on mortgages and to businesses at 2007 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: On 8 October 2008 the Government announced measures to support the stability of the financial system, protect ordinary savers, depositors, businesses and borrowers, and to safeguard the interests of the taxpayer. Details are available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_105_08.htm
	As part of their investment, the Government have agreed with the banks supported by the recapitalisation scheme a range of commitments. These include agreements to maintain, over the next three years, the availability and active marketing of competitively-priced lending to home owners and small businesses at 2007 levels.
	The Government's shareholdings in the banks supported by the recapitalisation scheme will be managed on a commercial basis by an arm's length company, UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI). UKFI's objective is to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder with due regard to the maintenance of financial stability and to act in a way that promotes competition.
	On 19 January 2009, the Government announced further measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These build on the measures announced on 8 October last year. Further information is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_05_09.htm
	The Government will negotiate quantified lending agreements with the banks participating in the Asset Protection Scheme and extended Credit Guarantee Scheme as announced in January this year. As the Chancellor set out on 26 February in his statement to Parliament, Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed a lending agreement with the Government.
	The Government will report to Parliament annually on the delivery of these agreements.

Bradford and Bingley

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when plans to take Bradford and Bingley into public ownership were first considered by Ministers.

Ian Pearson: The Tripartite Authorities maintain contingency plans for dealing with financial institutions which contain a number of possible scenarios and have a range of possible options including public support. The plan used was formulated from these contingency plans.

Bradford and Bingley

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Bradford and Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc (Amendment) Order 2009, dated 19 February 2009, whether his Department plans to compensate the shareholders of Bradford and Bingley plc on the same basis as proposed in the Bradford and Bingley Compensation Scheme Order 2008.

Ian Pearson: The purpose of the Bradford and Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. (Amendment) Order 2009 is to provide clarity in relation to the circumstances in which principal and interest on the dated subordinated notes issued by Bradford and Bingley will become due and payable.
	It makes no change to the arrangements to compensate former shareholders of Bradford and Bingley as set out in the Bradford and Bingley Compensation Scheme Order 2008.
	For the hon. Member's information the Treasury has also laid before Parliament a draft order entitled the Bradford and Bingley plc Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Order 2009. The effect of the amendment made by article 2 of the draft order is to ensure that the independent valuer appointed in accordance with the Bradford and Bingley plc Compensation Scheme Order 2008 must assess any compensation payable for any interferences in a person's consequential rights taking into account the amendments made by the Bradford and Bingley plc.
	Transfer of Securities and Property etc. (Amendment) Order 2009. The draft Order was laid before Parliament on 25 February 2009, and is expected to be debated later this month.

Budgets

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision HM Revenue and Customs has made for early implementation in the 2009-10 financial year of any changes resulting from the 2009 Budget.

Stephen Timms: HMRC stands ready to implement the tax policies of the Government whenever they are announced.

Business: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Wales have applied to defer their tax bills in each of the last six months; and how many have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused deferment in each month.

Stephen Timms: Under the Business Payment Support Service Since, introduced on 24 November 2008, 3,590 businesses in Wales have agreed terms with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to defer payments of tax; 120 businesses were not able to agree terms with HMRC and 405 businesses were, as of 1 March 2009, still in negotiation with HMRC. Information is not available by month.
	Information about other circumstances where HMRC may consider a proposal to defer tax is not available.

Corporate Governance of UK Banking Industry Review

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria were adopted in choosing Sir David Walker to chair the review into corporate governance of British banking; whether he assessed any other candidate for the position; what remuneration Sir David will receive for his chairmanship; what powers Sir David will have to call for persons and papers in evidence; what factors he took into account in determining the review's timescale; and if he will ask Sir David to report on remuneration packages before completion of his full report.

Ian Pearson: Sir David Walker was selected to undertake a review into corporate governance of UK banks on the basis of his strong understanding of the issues of corporate governance, board practices, financial markets and relationships with institutional shareholders. As a former regulator and director, Sir David has the blend and level of experience necessary to deal with the issues of bank corporate governance in this review. Sir David will not be remunerated for conducting this review.
	The Government do not intend to give Sir David any powers to call people or persons for evidential purposes.
	The review time scale was decided on the basis that this is a highly complex area and one which requires a thorough and detailed investigation so as to fully examine failures in respect of corporate governance and make policy recommendations for addressing these.
	The review will report jointly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury with preliminary conclusions by the autumn and final recommendations by the end of the year. At this stage the Government are not intending that Sir David should report on remuneration packages outside of these time scales.
	Sir David will, of course, take submissions from interested parties in carrying out the review.

Delivery Unit

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were working in the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit at the latest date for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The number of staff working in the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit at the latest date when figures were available was 37.

Departmental Telephone Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use  (a) his Department and  (b) service providers under contract to his Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury Group does not use any revenue sharing telephone numbers.
	Treasury Group organisations provide 0845 numbers for both internal and external facing services, including:
	internal service desks for IT and facilities management for Treasury employees;
	the OGC Service Desk, providing support on Office of Government Commerce matters to members of the public, and to private and public sector organisations;
	seventeen 0845 numbers advertised on the website of the UK Debt Management Office (DMO), which are generally available for use by callers to the DMO for business continuity purposes.
	The Treasury is currently reviewing its strategies for delivery of its services, which includes consideration of whether a move to using 03-prefixed telephone numbers would provide a better value service. DMO also plans to consider this in its next planning round.

Environment Protection: Industry

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targeted assistance he is providing to green industries affected by the recession.

Angela Eagle: The Government recognise that current difficult economic circumstances may cause difficulties for companies and are monitoring the situation closely.
	In the Pre-Budget Report the Government announced that they were providing £535 million of accelerated capital spending to support their environmental objectives and promote low carbon growth. This included £100 million of new funding for Warm Front which will provide a boost to the insulation and heating industries and the extension of the Renewable Obligation until 2037 to provide support and confidence to investors in renewable electricity.
	Government have also taken measures to recapitalise the financial sector and also recently announced a package of support to address the cash flow, credit and capital needs of smaller businesses. Taken together these measures will provide a significant boost to companies seeking finance.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to publish all reports submitted to him by Sir John Chadwick in the course of his work on support for Equitable Life policyholders; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Government will report to the House on progress made at regular intervals, and will make Sir John Chadwick's findings public, to the extent consistent with his judgment of the possible impact of his advice on the rights of those involved in the underlying events.

EU Economic Policy

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Strategy and Growth Pact came into force; and what information his Department holds on which other EU member states  (a) have and  (b) have not achieved compliance with the Pact rules to date.

Ian Pearson: There is no Strategy and Growth Pact. The Stability and Growth Pact fully entered into force on 1 January 1999. The pact was then reformed in 2005. Details on countries' compliance with the pact rules can be found at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/sg_pact_fiscal_policy/excessive_deficit9109_en.htm

Financial Services: EU Action

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the proposals in the European Commission's Communication for the Spring European Council, COM(09)114, providing for EU-wide supervision over banks and financial services will be brought forward as legislative proposals to which qualified majority voting will apply; and what the legal basis for each proposal will be.

Ian Pearson: The Commission communication does not include detail of any legislative proposal, or such a proposal's possible legal base.

Financial Services: EU Action

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter of 3 March 2009 to other EU Finance Ministers and the Commission on EU-wide supervision of financial services and banking.

Ian Pearson: I have deposited a copy of the Chancellor's letter in the Library of the House of Commons.

Local Public Services Review

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) timetable and  (b) remit is of Sir Michael Bichard's review of local public services as part of the Government's operational efficiency programme.

Angela Eagle: Sir Michael Bichard will be reporting alongside Budget 2009 as part of the operational efficiency programme.
	Sir Michael Bichard is leading the local incentives and empowerment work-strand of the operational efficiency programme, the remit of which was set out as part of the OEP launch prospectus, published in July 2008.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters of 20 October and 18 November 2008 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare sent on behalf of a constituent, Mr. Mark Templeman.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Monetary Policy

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects on  (a) the rate of inflation,  (b) the value of sterling and  (c) the level of bank lending of implementation of a policy of quantitative easing.

Ian Pearson: The Chancellor has authorised the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to use the Asset Purchase Facility for monetary policy purposes. The objectives of the Government's monetary policy framework remain unchanged. The Monetary Policy Committees operational target set by the Government remains at 2 per cent., as measured by the 12-month change in the Consumer Prices Index.

Motor Vehicle Industry

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to encourage the development of innovations with fewer negative effects on the environment in the automotive industry, with particular reference to companies which have been adversely affected by the recession.

Angela Eagle: New green investment is vital to ensure that the automotive industry emerges from the current downturn with the skills and technology base needed to be competitive in the global automotive market. The Government announced on 27 January an Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP). This is a temporary programme aimed at unlocking up to £2.3 billion of investment in low carbon initiatives in the UK automotive sector. On 27 February, the Government obtained European Commission clearance for the AAP and on the same day published guidance and criteria for companies wishing to apply for support under the programme. The guidance and application criteria are available on the BERR website:
	www.berr.gov.uk
	In addition to the AAP, an industry-wide technology roadmap plotting the pathways to ultra low carbon vehicles is being developed and finalised by the industry-led New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team. The Government are supporting the associated research agenda to accelerate their market introduction through the Technology Strategy Board-led Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform, which will be delivering over £110 million of public sector support.
	Further, on 15 January, the Department for Transport announced £250 million to get more ultra low-carbon vehicles on Britain's roads, helping motorists to go green by stimulating consumer uptake and helping to reduce emissions from road transport and improve local air quality. Further details of how this money will be spent will be announced later in the year.

Revenue and Customs: Cheques

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans HM Revenue and Customs has to handle cheques when the retail banking function of the Bank of England ceases.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has established the Government Banking Programme to manage the transition to new banking suppliers including the processing of cheques. As part of the programme, HMRC is also improving the processing of cheques across the HMRC estate.

Revenue and Customs: Flexible Working

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to withdraw provision for flexible working hours from staff in HM Revenue and Customs contact centres.

Stephen Timms: No.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Financial Services Secretary declared an interest in respect of his Gartmore and Nat West pensions to the Permanent Secretary at the time of his negotiations with Royal Bank of Scotland.

Angela Eagle: In accordance with the Ministerial Code, Lord Myners declared his interests with the Permanent Secretary on appointment to ministerial office. In addition, Lord Myners has declared his interests in the House of Lords Register of Members Interests.

Smuggling: Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many X-ray scanners HM Revenue and Customs used to detect instances of tobacco smuggling in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has had 14 scanners in operation since 2003.

Succession: Regulation

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish his proposals for the reform of the regulatory process for inherited estates.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 20 January 2009
	The regulation of the inherited estates of with profits funds is a matter for the Financial Services Authority.

Tax Allowances: Electricity

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons licensed electricity providers may not claim enhanced capital allowances.

Stephen Timms: Licensed electricity providers are generally eligible to claim enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) when they purchase plant or machinery that qualifies under any of several ECA schemes. One of those schemes, for energy-saving plant or machinery, provides ECAs for numerous technologies, including combined heat and power (CHP) systems. However, the ECA for CHP is not available to companies whose core business is electricity production in so far as they use the CHP to provide power to unknown end users. This proviso was necessary, in terms of the European Law State aid rules, to prevent any sectoral distortion of competition.

Taxation: Lorries

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what mechanism is used to determine how much each sub-group of lorries should pay in terms of vehicle excise duty and fuel duty, to ensure that the public costs engendered by their use of the road network are covered in accordance with Government policy;
	(2)  whether each sub-group of lorries, according to gross permitted vehicle weight and number of axles, covers the costs to the public purse which they cause in using the road network through the taxation they pay.

Angela Eagle: Diesel road fuel duty rates are paid by fuel producers rather than users and are therefore not targeted on individual vehicle types and do not distinguish between different end users.
	Vehicle excise duty rates for lorries are set to reflect notional differences in the relative impact of vehicle weight on the United Kingdom's roads network. The Government do not charge vehicle excise duty on the basis of actual road infrastructure costs.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which trade unions are recognised in  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the question answered on 23 June 2008,  Official Report, column 129W.

Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1113W, on the Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble, whether a copy of the agreement between Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies and the organisation which acts as the agent of the Valuation Office Agency is held by the Valuation Office Agency; and who the parties to the agreement are.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency does not hold a copy of the agreement. The Agency's IT supplier, Capgemini, manages its own agreement with Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies. The original agreement was between Cole Layer Trumble and the VOA's previous IT supplier, EDS.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 964W, on the Valuation Office: Rightmove, on what date the new contract was signed between Rightmove.co.uk plc and HM Revenue and Customs, on behalf of the Valuation Office Agency; and what the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum length of the new contract is.

Stephen Timms: No new contract exists—an existing contract was extended; I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 904W and 905W.

VAT

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of the reduction in value added tax to 15 per cent. in the calendar year 2009;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual savings to be made by  (a) households and  (b) businesses as a result of the reduction in value added tax to 15 per cent;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer arising from the reduction in the rate of value added tax on household expenditure.

Stephen Timms: The estimated cost of the temporary reduction in the standard rate of VAT was published in table B5 of the 2008 pre-Budget report. No calendar year-based estimates have been made.
	The cost to the Exchequer represents an equivalent saving to taxpayers in general. It is estimated tentatively that  (a) households account for around 70 per cent. of the total,  (b) businesses account for around 15 per cent. and  (c) other groups account for the remaining 15 per cent.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount of money outstanding from tax credit overpayments made in  (a) 2003-04 and  (b) 2004-05 not arising from fraud on the part of the claimant.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available.
	Information relating to outstanding overpayments, including that arising from fraud on the part of the claimant, of 2003-04 and 2004-05 tax credit awards is contained in part 2, table 11 of the report by the comptroller and auditor general, in the HM Revenue and Customs 2007-08 accounts. The publication is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-dep-acct0708.pdf

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange for a reply to be sent to the letter of 16 December 2008 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North to the Child Support Agency regarding a constituent, reference CCDBAS12795 and RFA3696328120.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 12 February 2009
	The administration of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is a matter for the Commissioner. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will arrange for a reply to be sent to the letter of 16 December 2008 from the hon. Member for Walsall North to the Child Support Agency regarding a constituent, reference CCDBAS12795 and RFA 3696328120.
	William O'Donnell, the manager of our Falkirk Clerical office, wrote to you on 10 February 2009 in reply to your correspondence of 16 December 2008. In his letter Mr O'Donnell confirms that all child maintenance payments owed to Mrs MacKenzie have now been paid.
	I am sorry that Mrs MacKenzie has encountered problems in her dealings with the Agency and trust this letter clarifies the situation.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Jonathan R Shaw: Department of Work and Pensions Display Energy Certificates are in place in 375 buildings across England and Wales and in 45 buildings across Scotland. As disproportionate costs would be incurred to provide individual copies of the certificate and the accompanying advisory report, my officials are arranging for electronic copies of these documents to be prepared and placed in the Library.

Departmental Consultants

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 27 February 2009
	Details of spend on consultancy for each of the last five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 306.72 
			 2004-05 168.37 
			 2005-06 130.29 
			 2006-07 162.62 
			 2007-08 76.43 
		
	
	Consultancy has been used across the Department in areas such as finance transformation (introducing the largest IT based resource management system in Europe), modernising our IT infrastructure, implementing Pensions Credit and supporting Pensions Transformation.

Departmental Co-ordination: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at his Department's file store in Nelson.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The DWP Record Storage performance by the contractor, Capita, is rated as satisfactory to good in all areas based on the current contract Management Information and Key Performance Indicators. DWP closely monitors, evaluates and manages the contractual performance of Capita in all aspects of our requirements.

Departmental Co-ordination: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's file store in Nelson holds Criminal Records Bureau files.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The Department for Work and Pensions holds no Criminal Records Bureau files at Nelson filestore.

Departmental Co-ordination: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees of Capita are contracted to work at his Department's file store in Nelson; what mechanisms are in place for undertaking security checks of such employees; and whether people who have a criminal record are eligible for employment at the file store.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 9 March 2009
	Capita have 180 staff (101 permanent staff and 79 temporary staff) employed at Nelson.
	Capita undertake strict security verification checks on all employed staff including:
	checks on two years employment history with two references;
	a check is carried out to confirm eligibility to work (nationality and immigration status);
	an ID check; and
	home address validations.
	Anyone with a disclosed current criminal record would not be deemed suitable for a role here.
	DWP and Capita takes the security verification of all staff employed at Nelson extremely seriously and the procedures in place are constantly reviewed and implemented.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handle and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	Departments follow CESG guidance on the use of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) communications security protocols in order to protect wireless networks carrying protectively marked (up to RESTRICTED/IL3) traffic. The configuration and operation standards for WPA2 are set out in CESG's Infosec Manual Y, Use of WPA2 Wireless Security in Government Systems.
	The DWP is fully compliant with HMG 1A Standard No. 4—Communication, Security and Cryptography for the encryption of data—on all its wireless networks.

Departmental Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Ministers' official engagements were from 1 November to 30 November 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 December 2008
	The information that the hon. Member has requested has been placed in the Library. These also include official and regional engagements as my regional Ministers do discuss departmental business at these events.

Employment Services: Redundancy

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people having received assistance under the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service were unemployed or on out-of-work benefits  (a) two weeks,  (b) one month,  (c) three months,  (d) six months,  (e) 12 months and  (f) 24 months after receiving response from the rapid assistance service in (i) each year since 1997 and (ii) in each month of the last five years;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of people engaged with the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service have found employment  (a) within two weeks,  (b) within one month,  (c) within three months,  (d) within six months and  (e) within 12 months in each (i) year since 1997 and (ii) month of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Health and Safety Executive: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions the Health and Safety Executive has had with  (a) the operators of the pipelines under the site,  (b) OIKOS,  (c) Calor Gas and  (d) the Emergency Planning Authority on health and safety issues arising from the proposed extension to Roscommon Way, Canvey Island.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not consulted any of the organisations listed on the health and safety implications of the Roscommon Way extension.
	HSE has had limited contact with a consultant working on behalf of Essex county council in the council's capacity as the client for the development.
	HSE is unable to answer part  (b) which is a matter for the planning authority.

Housing Benefit: North West

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants there were in  (a) the North West and  (b) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council area in each month since January 2007.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 6 March 2009
	 The available information is in the following table.
	Housing benefit statistics are not recorded on a monthly basis.
	
		
			  Total number of recipients of housing benefit February 2007 to August 2007 
			   February 2007  May 2007  August 2007 
			 Great Britain 4,039,750 4,031,810 4,040,940 
			 North West 520,300 518,430 518,560 
			 Stockport 14,050 14,150 14,010 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 5. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed housing benefit/council tax benefit data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics. However, until the new data have been fully quality assured to National Statistics standards, the most recent summary statistics available are for August 2007.  Source: Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in February 2007 to August 2007.

Jobcentre Plus

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department plans to issue guidance to Jobcentre Plus staff on how to assess whether there are reasonable grounds for believing a jobseeker's allowance claimant or applicant is a problem drug user; and to what grades of staff the guidance will be issued.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 March 2009
	Guidance and training for Jobcentre Plus staff on all aspects of the new drugs regime will be developed in consultation with the Department of Health, the National Treatment Agency and staff themselves. This will include training and guidance on how and in what circumstances to make a referral to a drug treatment specialist for an assessment of problematic drug use. The guidance will be made available to staff working in offices in the Jobcentre Plus districts operating the drugs pilots in good time before the pilots begin. The guidance will primarily be targeted at personal advisers and drugs coordinators.

Jobcentre Plus: Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Bathgate Jobcentre Plus plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West of 19 January 2009 and 12 February 2009 on his constituent Evelyn Smith.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking when Bathgate Jobcentre Plus plans to reply to your correspondence of 19 January 2009 and 12 February 2009 about your constituent Evelyn Smith. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I am sorry that you did not receive a reply to your correspondence within a reasonable time and would like to apologise for any inconvenience this delay caused.
	Unfortunately, Bathgate Benefit Delivery Centre has no record of receiving your correspondence of 19 January, but I can confirm that the Centre Manager responded to your letter of 12 February on 4 March and attach a copy for your convenience and ease of reference.

Jobcentre Plus: North West

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people Jobcentre Plus North West has assisted into full-time employment for a period of 12 months or more in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's projections are of jobseeker's allowance in-flows  (a) in total,  (b) as a result of lone parents migrating from income support to jobseeker's allowance and  (c) as a result of people moving onto jobseeker's allowance as a result of failing the work capability assessment for applying for employment support allowance in each month of each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The available information is in the following tables. The figures are a planning assumption only, consistent with the HM Treasury unemployment assumption, and do not represent an official departmental forecast of inflows to jobseeker's allowance.
	
		
			  Planning assumption for inflows to jobseeker's allowance, based on HM Treasury unemployment assumption for pre-Budget report 2008 
			   Total jobseeker's allowance inflows 
			 2008-09 2,863,000 
			 2009-10 3,620,000 
			 2010-11 3,558,000 
			 2011-12 3,427,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Assumed number of inflows as a result of lone parents' migration and work capability assessment based on internal analysis carried out for departmental planning purposes 
			   Of which: 
			  Quarter ending  Lone parent migration  Employment and support allowance ineligibility 
			 October 2008 — — 
			 January 2009 — 3,000 
			 April 2009 16,000 3,000 
			 July 2009 15,000 2,000 
			 October 2009 20,000 2,000 
			 January 2010 16,000 5,000 
			 April 2010 27,000 7,000 
			 July 2010 20,000 6,000 
			 October 2010 14,000 6,000 
			 January 2011 42,000 6,000 
			 April 2011 43,000 6,000 
			 July 2011 19,000 6,000 
			 October 2011 17,000 6,000 
			  Notes: 1. These inflows are consistent with the Treasury unemployment assumption. As such they do not represent an official Government forecast of inflows into jobseeker's allowance. 2. Total inflow figures give financial year totals, as the claimant count assumption quoted in the pre-Budget report is also on this basis. They are the sum of inflows from April to March, that is, the figure labelled 2008-09 represents the total inflows from April 2008 to March 2009. 3. Inflow figures as a result of the lone parent migration and work capability assessment are on a quarterly basis. They are the sum of inflows over the three months in a quarter, that is, the figure labelled April 2009 represents the total inflows in February, March, and April of 2009. 4. The figures are based on the assumption that over the next few years jobseeker's allowance claimants will flow off benefit at a lower rate than today. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand (and therefore are rounded to zero if less than 500). 6. All figures relate to claimants in Great Britain.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's projections are of jobseeker's allowance out-flows  (a) in total and  (b) directly into employment in each month of each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The available information is in the table. The Department does not make a planning assumption for the number of off-flows directly entering employment.
	The figures are a planning assumption only, consistent with the HM Treasury unemployment assumption, and do not represent an official departmental forecast of exits from jobseeker's allowance.
	
		
			  Planning assumption for outflows from jobseeker's allowance, based on HM Treasury unemployment assumption for pre-Budget report 2008 
			   Total jobseeker's allowance outflows 
			 2008-09 2,547,000 
			 2009-10 3,288,000 
			 2010-11 3,439,000 
			 2011-12 3,458,000 
			  Notes: 1. These outflows are the planning assumption which is consistent with the Treasury unemployment assumption. As such they do not represent an official forecast of outflows from jobseeker's allowance. 2. Figures given as financial year totals, as the claimant count assumption quoted in the pre-Budget report is also on this basis. They are the sum of inflows from April to March, that is, the figure labelled 2008-09 represents the total inflows from April 2008 to March 2009. 3. The figures are based on the assumption that over the next few years jobseeker's allowance claimants will flow off benefit at a lower rate than today. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand (and therefore are rounded to zero if less than five hundred). 5. All figures relate to claimants in Great Britain.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce measures to ensure that Jobcentre Plus offices assist jobseeker's allowance claimants in contacting other agencies for advice and support on debt and financial management; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will introduce measures to ensure that Jobcentre Plus offices assist Jobseeker's Allowance claimants in contacting other agencies for advice and support on debt and financial management; and if he will make a statement. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Signposting customers to appropriate agencies for advice and support on debt and financial management has long been part of the services provided by Jobcentre Plus personal advisers. To help our advisers with this, we have a comprehensive programme of blended learning designed to equip them with the range of knowledge and skills required to support all customers. This learning provides the adviser with the key skills needed to undertake effective work-focused interviews, identify barriers that may be making it harder for customers to find work and, where appropriate, signpost customers to relevant sources of help.
	More specifically, the "Introduction to Customer Groups" learning and development module provides guidance on how to help customers with debt problems. This module is currently being updated to strengthen and reinforce the help that is available to customers from Third Sector Organisations, and is included in a range of learning routeways to ensure personal advisers and other staff are able to signpost customers to an appropriate source of help.
	It is also worth mentioning that as part of a national partnership agreement, customers with debt problems are often referred to their local Citizens Advice Bureau, which is well equipped to offer advice and guidance.
	I hope this information is helpful and assures you of our intent to work effectively with a range of partner organisations to make sure customers receive the best possible service.

Jobseeker's Allowance: North West

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants there were in  (a) the North West,  (b) Stockport local authority area and  (c) Cheadle constituency in each month since January 2007.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 6 March 2009
	 The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants in north-west Government office region (GOR), Stockport local authority and Cheadle parliamentary constituency: January 2007 to January 2009 
			   North-west GOR  Stockport local authority area  Cheadle parliamentary constituency 
			 January 2007 120,858 3,048 497 
			 February 2007 122,361 3,094 529 
			 March 2007 119,759 3,072 508 
			 April 2007 115,582 3,020 492 
			 May 2007 111,553 2,893 473 
			 June 2007 107,682 2,826 448 
			 July 2007 108,979 2,889 468 
			 August 2007 109,800 2,955 480 
			 September 2007 107,392 2,871 469 
			 October 2007 103,854 2,810 436 
			 November 2007 102,174 2,803 415 
			 December 2007 104,022 2,805 408 
			 January 2008 110,250 2,980 455 
			 February 2008 112,475 3,049 497 
			 March 2008 112,122 3,018 450 
			 April 2008 111,859 3,015 453 
			 May 2008 110,911 3,054 442 
			 June 2008 110,769 3,077 465 
			 July 2008 116,193 3,279 513 
			 August 2008 122,067 3,433 550 
			 September 2008 124,988 3,553 598 
			 October 2008 127,638 3,692 624 
			 November 2008 137,636 4,117 710 
			 December 2008 149,439 4,377 750 
			 January 2009 164,996 5,004 898 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are unrounded. 2. Figures include clerically held cases.  Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases).

Mortgages: Government Assistance

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many applications for mortgage relief schemes have been  (a) received,  (b) successfully processed to the point of completion and  (c) granted in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many applications for mortgage relief have been  (a) received,  (b) processed to the point of completion and  (c) granted in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answe rs 4  and 6  March 2009
	Claims for mortgage relief can be made with jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, income support and pension credit.
	Information about applications for mortgage relief with pension credit could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The available information about claims for mortgage relief with jobseeker's allowance and income support is in the following table. The Department for Work and Pensions will be publishing National Statistics on employment and support allowance in summer 2009.
	
		
			  Mortgage interest claims, year ending January 2009 
			   Number 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance claims received 33,269 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance claims processed 24,425 
			 Income Support claims received 33,589 
			 Income Support Mortgage claims processed 29,018 
			 Income Support Mortgage claims awarded 19,264 
			 Income Support Mortgage claims refused 9,754 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus Management Information.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what progress has been made on his plans for the implementation of the flexible New Deal;
	(2)  whether the contracting process for the flexible New Deal has proceeded in accordance with the originally planned timetable;
	(3)  when the contracts will be announced for phase 1 of the flexible New Deal.

Tony McNulty: The competition for contracts to deliver flexible new deal is under way. 124 bids were submitted and these are being evaluated.
	We have notified providers of a short pause in the competition to enable us to jointly consider the impact and options to address the financial challenges in the initial phase of the contract.
	The Department will retain a performance and payment regime based on outcomes, providing shortlisted bidders with the opportunity to develop innovative individually tailored solutions. Our expectation is to have a funding model based on 80 per cent. (outcome) and 20 per cent. (fee based) as originally tabled. However, in the initial phase of the contract (first 18 months), the Department will consider alternative models based on a higher service fee element.
	We expect to notify bidders of results during April and contracts to be awarded by the end of May 2009.
	The Government remain committed to bringing in the flexible new deal phase 1 from October 2009.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether any changes have been made to the original performance and funding expectations of the flexible New Deal;
	(2)  when phase one of the flexible new deal is planned to commence;
	(3)  on what date  (a) the preferred bidders for the flexible New Deal phase 1 will be announced and  (b) will the contract be awarded.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 February 2009
	The competition for contracts to deliver flexible new deal is under way. 124 bids were submitted and these are being evaluated.
	We have notified providers of a short pause in the competition to enable us to jointly consider the impact and options to address the financial challenges in the initial phase of the contract.
	The Department will retain a performance and payment regime based on outcomes, providing shortlisted bidders with the opportunity to develop innovative individually tailored solutions. Our expectation is to have a funding model based on 80 per cent. (outcome) and 20 per cent. (fee based) as originally tabled. However, in the initial phase of the contract (first 18-months), the Department will consider alternative models based on a higher service fee element.
	We expect to notify bidders of results during April and contracts to be awarded by the end of May 2009.
	The Government remains committed to bringing in the flexible new deal phase 1 from October 2009.

New Deal Schemes

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what deadline he has set for private sector provider bidders for the Flexible New Deal to revisit the assumptions made in their original bids, based on the revised estimate of the number of long-term unemployed.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 March 2009
	Bidders should complete the revised financial schedules and provide a revised performance offer and supporting information in the form of a revised Part Six of the Invitation to Tender form. These revised documents must have been submitted by midday on Wednesday 4th March 2009.
	The request for additional information will result in a change to our published timetable; we now expect to notify bidders of results during April and award contracts by the end of May 2009. We still aim to begin delivery from October although we recognise the challenge this would present to some bidders. When submitting the additional information, bidders have been asked to indicate whether these revised timings are likely to impact on their ability to begin delivery from October 2009.

Pensioners: Personal Savings

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what calculations his Department has used in deciding to attribute £1 a week as income for every £500 in savings over £6,000 when calculating the pension credit;
	(2)  if during the economic downturn he will temporarily abandon the practice of attributing £1 a week as income for every £500 in savings over £6,000 when calculating the pension credit;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the practice of attributing £1 a week as income for every £500 in savings over £6,000 when calculating pension credit.

Rosie Winterton: The formula for calculating the amount of notional income assumed from capital in pension credit, known as tariff income, is not intended to represent any rate of return that could be obtained from investing capital. It provides a simple method of calculating the weekly contribution that people with capital in excess of the level of the disregard are expected to make from their resources to help meet their normal living costs.
	In pension credit the first £6,000 of capital is fully disregarded (£10,000 for those in care homes). For each £500 (or part of £500) above this level we assume notional income at a rate of £1.
	The vast majority of pensioners who are eligible for pension credit have savings below the level of the disregard and do not have any tariff income applied.
	When income support was introduced in 1988 the rate of tariff income as set out in the legislation was £1 for every £250. With the introduction of pension credit we halved this rate to £1 for every £500, and also abolished the upper capital limit—giving more people access to support.
	Pension credit, through the savings credit, is designed to specifically reward pensioners with low or modest second pensions or savings. Notional income from capital is also qualifying income for the savings credit.
	As there is no link with actual market rates, the tariff income rates within the income related benefits are not adjusted when interest rates change.
	The tariff income levels are kept under continual review but they can only be increased when priorities and resources allow.

Pensions: Insolvency

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Government taking a majority stake in a company in order to prevent it from bankruptcy would be considered an insolvency event for the purpose of the Pension Protection Fund.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 5 March 2009
	No. For the purposes of the Pension Protection Fund, an insolvency event occurs if it is an event as described within the Pensions Act 2004. Section 121 of that Act sets out when an insolvency event occurs in relation to an individual, a company or a partnership. For a company, an insolvency event may, for example, occur when an administrative receiver is appointed or the company enters administration under the provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986. It would not be an insolvency event for the Government to take a majority stake in a company.

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons his Department does not provide  (a) an income support,  (b) an employment support allowance,  (c) an incapacity benefit,  (d) a winter fuel allowance and  (e) a jobseeker's allowance hotline for hon. Members.

Tony McNulty: Jobcentre Plus district managers should be in regular contact with their local MPs in order to offer the personal assistance they need. Jobcentre Plus district managers have been asked to write to their MPs to reinforce this offer of help. Any hon. Member with a query about any benefits should contact the Jobcentre Plus district manager who has overall responsibility for the service to local residents. This will give hon. Members effective support for a range of different queries.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service provide a dedicated telephone service for the express use of Members of Parliament who require information on pensioner or disability and carer-related matters.

Social Security Benefits: Wimbledon

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants for  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) housing benefit,  (c) incapacity benefit and  (d) income support there were resident in Wimbledon constituency in each of the last five years; and how many of these were claiming more than one benefit in each year.

Tony McNulty: The available information is in the following table.
	Information on housing benefit is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Information on how many people were claiming more than one benefit is not available at constituency level.
	
		
			  Total number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, income support and jobseeker's allowance claimants in Wimbledon parliamentary constituency over the past five years 
			  As at August each year  Income support  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance  Jobseeker's allowance 
			 2003 3,040 1,730 1,040 
			 2004 1,530 1,750 920 
			 2005 1,520 1,770 1,035 
			 2006 1,490 1,770 820 
			 2007 1,420 1,690 690 
			 2008 1,410 1,630 635 
			  Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk. 3. Figures exclude clerical cases.  Sources: 1. Jobseeker's allowance—100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems. 2. Income support and incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance—The Department for Work and Pensions information directorate: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Winter Fuel Payments

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people entitled to a winter fuel payment in West Chelmsford constituency are yet to receive their payment from the last round of applications.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.
	Of the 12 million winter fuel payments made every year, the vast majority, over 95 per cent., are made automatically before Christmas based on information already held in DWP records. In these cases individuals do not need to make a claim.
	However, there is a small group of people who may qualify for a winter fuel payment who need to make a claim. This is usually because they are not in receipt of a state pension or other benefit administered by the DWP. Claims for winter 2008-09 must be received by 30 March 2009. Payments are made in stages between November 2008 and May 2009 depending on when the application and supporting information is received.
	In winter 2006-07, the last year for which figures are available, 20,330 people in the West Chelmsford Constituency received a winter fuel payment. We expect to make a similar number of payments this year.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of defendants aged between 10 and 17 years there were for being drunk and disorderly in each police force area in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Alan Campbell: Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against, found guilty, cautioned and issued with a penalty notice for disorder for drunk and disorderly behaviour in England and Wales for each year from 2005 to 2007, broken down by age, sex and police force area can be found in the tables placed in the House Library.

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals aged over 65 years resident in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government Office region were arrested or issued with a penalty notice for being drunk and disorderly in the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The numbers of persons aged 65 years and over issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for being drunk and disorderly from 2004, when the scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales, to 2007 (latest available) are given in the table by Government office region.
	PND data are collected centrally at police force area level; data for the London boroughs are not available. PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
	The alcohol-related offences presented in the table are not notifiable offences and do not form part of the arrests collection.
	
		
			  Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to persons aged 65 and over for being drunk and disorderly( 1) , by Government office region, from 2004 - 07 
			  Region  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 London 62 29 31 21 
			 North East 2 2 8 11 
			 North West 11 26 16 31 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 7 17 16 11 
			 East Midlands 3 6 4 7 
			 West Midlands 14 10 8 17 
			 East of England 7 8 9 4 
			 South East 11 18 18 17 
			 South West 6 17 11 11 
			 Wales 5 7 7 6 
			 (1) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises—Licensing Act 1872, section 12; Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour—Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Anabolic Steroids

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) cautioned and  (b) convicted of supplying anabolic steroids in each of the last five years; and how many of those convicted were subsequently given the maximum possible sentence.

Alan Campbell: Information provided by the Ministry of Justice on the number of persons cautioned or found guilty at all courts for supplying anabolic steroids in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in the table. Of those persons convicted none received the maximum sentence.
	Cautions and court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of persons cautioned or found guilty at all courts for supplying anabolic steroids( 1) , England and Wales, 2003-07( 2,3) 
			   Number cautioned  Number found guilty 
			 2003(4) — 3 
			 2004 2 3 
			 2005 1 4 
			 2006 1 — 
			 2007 — 4 
			 (1) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.4(3): Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug—Anabolic Steroids. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis unit

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations  (a) she and  (b) other Ministers in her Department have met to discuss the proposed revision to European Council Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for research or other scientific purposes in the last 12 months.

Meg Hillier: The European Commission proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace directive 86/609/EEC was published in November 2008. I have met with the Animal Procedures Committee, the All Party Parliamentary FRAME Group and the BioIndustry Association to discuss aspects of the draft directive, and participated in a European Scrutiny Committee debate on the same issue. I am also due to meet representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) later this week (12 March).
	I have also received written representations about the draft directive and Home Office officials have met with a wide and representative cross-section of relevant stakeholder groups to discuss its provisions. The Home Secretary and other Home Office Ministers have not been involved in any of these discussions.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of using  (a) an F1 generation and  (b) an F2 generation non-human primate bred for research purposes in research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and on what basis her estimate is calculated.

Meg Hillier: No estimates have yet been made of the cost of using F1 and F2 generation non-human primates bred for research purposes in research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
	We will consider these costs in preparing a partial impact assessment in respect of the European Commission's proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace Directive 86/609/EEC. We will publish the impact assessment when we consult formally on the draft directive.

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the use of penalty notices for disorder by police community support officers; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: None.

Asylum

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of failed asylum seekers living in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Since the phasing out of embarkation controls in 1994 no Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally and that includes unsuccessful asylum seekers. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately and that remains the case.
	As part of the Government's 10-point plan for delivery, by 2010 over 95 per cent. of non-EEA foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country. This is part of a sweeping programme of border protection which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, watch-list checks for all travellers before they arrive or depart from the UK and ID cards for foreign nationals.
	The Government's plans, set out in "Enforcing the Deal" published on 19 June 2008, set a clear goal to target and remove the most harmful people first, working with local authorities and enforcement agencies to shut down the privileges of the UK to those breaking the rules.
	Copies of this document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/managingourborders/enforcementbusinessplan08_09/enforcementbusinessplan08_09.pdf?view=Binary

Asylum: Sudan

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have signed voluntary return forms in relation to the Darfur region.

Phil Woolas: Those who apply for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) operated on behalf of the UK Border Agency by the International Organisation for Migration sign a Declaration of Voluntary Return on application.
	From January 2008 to November 2008 six people applied to return to the Darfur region of Sudan via the VARRP.
	The figures provided are based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional.

Asylum: Zimbabwe

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have signed voluntary return forms in relation to Zimbabwe.

Phil Woolas: Those who apply for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) operated on behalf of the UK Border Agency by the International Organisation for Migration sign a Declaration of Voluntary Return on application.
	From January 2008 to November 2008 216 people applied to return to Zimbabwe via the VARRP.
	The figures provided are based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, is subject to change and should be treated as provisional.

Cannabis: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) were arrested and  (b) received on-the-spot fines for possession of cannabis in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, which includes the category of drug offences.
	From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	The offence of possession of cannabis was added to the penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme on 28 January 2009. Information on the number of PNDs issued in 2009 are due to be published in November 2010. Additionally information on notifiable offences detected in 2009-10 by means of a PND is due to be published in July 2010.

Chernobyl: Children

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the government of Belarus on measures to allow children from that country who have visas to enter the UK for the purposes of tourist visits to depart Belarus without hindrance; and if she will take steps to put in place an agreement with the government of Belarus to facilitate such visits.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The Government for many years facilitated the travel of Belarusian children coming to the UK from Chernobyl contaminated areas on charitable programmes. The Belarus authorities' decision last year to suspend these visits pending the signing of a bilateral agreement with the UK and other destination countries means that we no longer issue visas to children wishing to enter under these programmes.
	Since last autumn there have been regular contacts with the Belarusian authorities aiming to conclude a bilateral agreement. These have been official level contacts between the British ambassador and the Department of Humanitarian Activities in Minsk, as well as between the UK Border Agency and the Belarus embassy in London and the Department of Humanitarian Activities.
	This is progressing well and we hope to find a solution soon that will enable summer visits to take place.

Chernobyl: Children

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to conclude the draft agreement with Belarus concerning the travel for medical treatment abroad of children from that country.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 March 2009
	Since the decision by the Belarus authorities to suspend visits to the UK by children from Chernobyl contaminated areas on charitable programmes, there have been regular contacts between the British ambassador and the Department of Humanitarian Activities in Minsk as well as between the UK Border Agency and the Belarus embassy in London and the Department of Humanitarian Activities in Minsk. These have focused on the negotiation of a bilateral agreement. This is progressing well and we hope to find a solution soon that will enable summer visits to take place.

Community Relations: Islam

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has had discussions with representatives of the Muslim community on the threat of terrorism committed by Somalis in the UK.

Vernon Coaker: As part of my work to protect the public and to reduce the threat to UK interests, domestically and internationally, I meet regularly with representatives from all our community and faith groups, Muslim and non-Muslim, to discuss the threat and causes of terrorism in the UK.

Crime Prevention

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle  (a) gun crime,  (b) urban crime,  (c) rural crime,  (d) credit card fraud and  (e) fraudulent and spam phishing e-mails.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Department has taken a range of steps to deal with gun crime including setting up the Tackling Gangs Action programme, which ran from September 2007 to March 2008. The programme saw a reduction of 51 per cent. in firearms-related injuries and a 27 per cent. drop in all recorded firearm offences across the four TGAP areas. Communities in those areas reported being more aware of police activity during TGAP and a further £1.8 million has been allocated to build on these successes.
	One of the key strands in our programme of work is prevention—empowering communities to work with local agencies to take action to prevent gun crime and gang culture and offering support to parents to challenge their children's behaviour.
	We have also been working with the police to develop state-of-the-art imaging technology to provide information and intelligence on firearms used in crimes.
	NABIS, which went live in November, is an invaluable tool to police forces round the country. We are of course also continuing to work with SOCA and HMRC to prevent and detect illegal firearms entering the UK.
	 (b) and  (c) The Government's current crime strategy 2008-2011 covers the spectrum of crime—from antisocial behaviour to serious organised crime—whether it takes place in an urban or rural setting. The strategy framework aims to: intervene early to prevent offending, take action to reduce opportunity through situational crime prevention, and ensure that there is robust enforcement and action to reduce re-offending. These are all applicable to both urban and rural settings. The strategy, which has been built upon by the Policing Green Paper and measures in the Police and Crime Reduction Bill, placed real emphasis on local flexibility to tackle local priorities to allow local partners to tailor their response to reflect local need (where issues arising from an urban or rural setting might occur).
	 (d) We are working closely with the credit card industry to encourage wider adoption by retailers and cardholders of new anti fraud initiatives, with particular emphasis on card not present fraud, such as verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode.
	More generally, Government have allocated £29 million over three years to implement the recommendations of the fraud review. This includes the creation of a National Fraud Strategic Authority, launched last October; a new national lead force role for the City of London police; and a National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC), expected to be fully operational in 2010, which will radically streamline the way that the public report fraud to the police. The NFRC will also equip law enforcement agencies with a powerful intelligence tool and help form the basis of better prevention advice and alerts to fraud threats for business and the public.
	 (e) The Government introduced statutory controls in the UK on unsolicited spam e-mails under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, which came into force on 11 December 2003. They provide a first line of defence against the kind of unsolicited e-mails that many people object to where they have no knowledge of the advertiser or the products being marketed. The regulations require that unsolicited spam e-mails must not be sent to an individual subscriber unless prior permission has been obtained or unless there is a previous relationship between the parties. The regulations can be enforced against an offending company or individual anywhere in the European Union (EU).

Crime Prevention: Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has allocated to the Government's Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy in the last 12 months; and how much of this has been allocated to the Ugly Mugs scheme.

Alan Campbell: £69,000 was allocated to initiatives arising from the prostitution strategy in 2008-09. None of this money was allocated to the Ugly Mugs scheme which was initially expanded with the support of Home Office funding but is not provided with continuous funding through the prostitution strategy.

Crime: Property

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the national property crime rate was in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) the last four months of 2008.

Alan Campbell: The property crime rates per 1,000 population in England and Wales for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are given in the following table.
	Figures for the last four months are yet to be published and are not available. The most recently published recorded crime statistics are up to September 2008. Figures up to December 2008 will be published on 23 April 2009.
	
		
			  Recorded property crime( 1)  rates per 1,000 population, England And Wales 
			   Offences recorded  Population  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 2005-06 4,081,204 53,046,224 77 
			 2006-07 3,952,521 53,390,244 74 
			 2007-08 3,552,956 53,728,830 66 
			 (1) Property crime includes burglary, offences against vehicles, other theft offences, fraud and forgery, and criminal damage.

Crimes of Violence: Victims

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to Table 1.03 of her Department's Statistical Bulletin 02/09 on homicides, firearm offences and intimate violence 2007-08, if she will break down the figures by age of victim.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table A—Offences currently( 1)  recorded as homicide where victim is male, by apparent method of killing and age of victim: England and Wales, 1997-98 to 2007-08( 2,)( )( 3) 
			Year offence initially recorded as homicide( 2) 
			  Apparent method  Victim age (years)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Sharp instrument Under 1 year — — 1 — — 1 2 — — 1 — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — 1 1 1 — — — — — 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 1 3 3 7 2 4 1 4 4 8 
			  16 to 29 incl. 52 52 66 67 78 69 82 73 75 88 88 
			  30 to 49 incl. 58 70 63 67 76 77 70 74 56 76 87 
			  50 to 69 incl. 25 23 17 16 27 23 20 31 23 19 26 
			  70 and over 1 5 2 2 5 11 5 9 4 2 2 
			 Sharp instrument total  137 151 153 156 194 183 183 188 162 190 212 
			  
			  Blunt instrument Under 1 year 1 — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — 1 2 — — 1 1 — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 — — 2 — 1 — — — 1 2 
			  16 to 29 incl. 14 15 17 10 10 4 11 19 9 5 14 
			  30 to 49 incl. 16 11 17 22 18 15 25 16 16 18 14 
			  50 to 69 incl. 10 10 8 10 4 4 13 9 10 8 9 
			  70 and over 5 5 2 5 2 2 4 4 5 2 5 
			 Blunt instrument total  47 41 44 50 36 26 53 49 41 34 44 
			  
			  Hitting, kicking, etc. Under 1 year 2 2 — 1 3 2 1 — — 1 2 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 1 — — 1 1 3 — 1 — 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 2 2 — 2 1 2 1 — 1 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 16 23 19 21 25 26 23 28 23 31 34 
			  30 to 49 incl. 41 32 47 47 59 56 53 43 45 63 71 
			  50 to 69 incl. 14 11 10 14 24 21 23 29 19 21 27 
			  70 and over 3 5 4 3 6 5 5 10 3 9 5 
			  unknown — — — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Hitting, kicking, etc. total  79 76 82 86 120 112 111 111 91 126 140 
			  
			  Strangulation Under 1 year 1 4 2 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 — 6 5 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 5 2 9 3 — — 1 — — 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 2 4 4 4 1 5 4 2 2 5 4 
			  30 to 49 incl. 2 6 2 8 5 6 7 5 5 9 4 
			  50 to 69 incl. 5 5 6 3 2 6 2 5 4 2 1 
			  70 and over — 3 2 1 2 — 2 — 2 — — 
			  unknown — — — 54 — — — — — — — 
			 Strangulation total  12 29 20 84 18 20 18 16 14 23 16 
			  
			  Shooting Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — 1 1 — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 — — — 3 — 1 1 — 4 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 14 18 23 33 47 27 27 31 24 32 27 
			  30 to 49 incl. 27 19 24 22 34 25 23 22 12 11 16 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 5 5 6 5 3 8 1 3 6 3 
			  70 and over — — — 1 1 — 2 2 — — — 
			  unknown — — — — — — — 3 — — — 
			 Shooting total  45 42 52 63 91 55 61 60 39 53 47 
			  
			  Explosion Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 — — 1 — 1 — 1 11 — — 
			  30 to 49 incl. — 1 3 1 — 1 — — 8 — — 
			  50 to 69 incl. — 1 — — — — — 1 5 1 — 
			  70 and over — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Explosion total  1 2 3 2 — 2 — 2 24 1 — 
			  
			  Burning Under 1 year — — — — — — — 1 1 — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 2 2 — 1 1 1 1 1 — 2 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 6 1 2 1 — — 5 2 3 1 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 3 — 1 2 2 4 — 3 — 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 4 2 3 5 8 2 8 4 5 6 7 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 4 1 1 3 1 1 7 2 3 2 
			  70 and over 1 1 3 — 1 1 — 2 1 2 — 
			 Burning total  15 13 9 9 15 7 19 17 15 14 14 
			  
			  Drowning Under 1 year 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 2 — 2 — 3 1 2 1 1 — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — 1 2 2 1 — — — 1 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 2 — 1 2 4 — 4 3 1 — 4 
			  30 to 49 incl. — 1 — 1 1 — 14 2 1 5 — 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 — 1 — 1 — — 1 — 1 1 
			  70 and over — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Drowning total  5 3 3 7 8 4 20 8 3 8 5 
			  
			  Poison or drugs Under 1 year — — — 2 — 1 — — 2 — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 2 3 — 1 3 — 2 1 3 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. — 4 3 1 — 4 1 — — 1 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 5 9 8 9 5 7 1 6 3 9 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 5 6 5 6 13 9 8 7 10 9 11 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 3 1 1 — 5 — 2 2 1 — 
			  70 and over 1 — — 2 1 38 1 2 2 2 — 
			 Poison or drugs total  12 24 20 21 20 67 11 19 20 25 16 
			  
			  Motor vehicle Under 1 year — — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — 1 — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — 1 1 1 1 3 — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 4 6 1 3 5 4 5 7 5 1 2 
			  30 to 49 incl. 6 4 5 6 7 9 4 6 2 2 5 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 1 3 — 2 3 2 3 4 — 1 
			  70 and over — — — — — 1 1 — 1 — 1 
			 Motor vehicle total  12 11 10 11 15 18 15 17 12 3 9 
			  
			  Other Under 1 year 13 11 13 18 6 8 11 7 7 4 9 
			  1 to 4 incl. 3 3 1 5 3 5 3 4 — 3 3 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 — — 1 — — — 2 — 1 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 3 2 1 8 4 3 3 4 1 4 5 
			  30 to 49 incl. 1 2 3 6 3 7 2 6 4 7 6 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 6 2 4 4 2 2 4 2 6 5 
			  70 and over 3 2 4 4 5 2 — 1 3 1 1 
			 Other total  26 26 24 46 25 27 21 28 17 26 30 
			  
			  Not known Under 1 year 1 2 2 — — — 2 1 3 3 2 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 1 — 1 1 1 1 — 1 1 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 — — — 2 — — 1 2 3 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 3 1 9 2 2 6 8 12 10 11 5 
			  30 to 49 incl. 2 4 11 4 4 7 17 13 21 14 7 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 4 6 2 4 4 13 3 2 9 6 
			  70 and over — — 1 — 4 2 1 — 2 3 — 
			  unknown — — — — — — — 9 — — — 
			 Not known total  9 12 29 9 17 20 42 39 41 44 22 
			  
			  Total male victims  400 430 449 544 559 541 554 554 479 547 555 
			 — denotes nil (1) As at 4 November 2008; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which they were initially recorded as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Data for 2008-09 are not yet published. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B—Offences currently( 1)  recorded as homicide where victim is female, by apparent method of killing and age of victim: England and Wales, 1997-98 to 2007-08( 2, 3) 
			Year offence initially recorded as homicide( 2) 
			  Apparent method  Victim age (years)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Sharp instrument Under 1 year — — 1 1 — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 1 — — 1 1 3 — — 1 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 4 — 2 1 — 2 2 — — 1 2 
			  16 to 29 incl. 18 11 17 16 21 22 20 22 18 24 14 
			  30 to 49 incl. 31 24 23 29 28 31 25 30 27 38 27 
			  50 to 69 incl. 6 7 13 7 11 16 6 15 9 14 12 
			  70 plus 5 7 4 5 6 11 3 5 3 1 2 
			 Sharp instrument total  65 50 60 59 67 83 59 72 57 79 58 
			  
			  Blunt instrument Under 1 year 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — 2 1 — — — — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 3 7 6 4 5 4 4 6 7 2 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 7 7 8 17 12 8 5 2 5 3 7 
			  50 to 69 incl. 7 4 4 2 5 3 5 5 4 1 4 
			  70 plus 3 5 5 3 2 7 6 4 3 5 8 
			 Blunt instrument total  21 24 26 27 24 22 20 17 19 11 22 
			  
			  Hitting, kicking, etc. Under 1 year — 2 1 — — 1 1 1 1 — 4 
			  1 to 4 incl. 3 — — 1 — 2 1 1 — 1 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — 2 1 2 — 1 1 1 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 7 3 3 3 6 2 5 3 7 3 6 
			  30 to 49 incl. 5 5 6 3 6 12 9 3 7 4 6 
			  50 to 69 incl. 4 3 — 1 4 7 5 3 1 4 2 
			  70 plus 5 — 3 6 8 12 5 4 3 2 4 
			 Hitting, kicking, etc. total  24 13 13 16 25 38 26 16 20 15 23 
			  
			  Strangulation Under 1 year 5 2 — 4 3 7 1 2 1 — 1 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 — — 1 — — 1 — 2 — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 3 2 3 — 4 2 5 2 2 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 19 13 10 23 16 13 11 13 9 12 11 
			  30 to 49 incl. 14 12 19 18 26 14 18 17 16 9 15 
			  50 to 69 incl. 3 10 4 6 6 2 11 3 7 6 9 
			  70 plus 7 9 1 4 9 7 5 8 6 2 5 
			  unknown — — — 4 — — — — — — — 
			 Strangulation total  50 49 36 63 60 47 49 48 43 31 41 
			  
			  Shooting Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — 1 1 2 1 1 — 1 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 2 2 2 — 9 — 5 4 — 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 2 2 5 3 2 6 3 1 5 3  
			  50 to 69 incl. 3 — 1 1 2 3 2 1 1 1  
			  70 plus 1 — 1 2 1 — — 2 — 1 2 
			  unknown — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			 Shooting total  7 4 9 9 6 20 6 10 11 6 6 
			  
			  Explosion Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. — — 1 — — — — — 13 — — 
			  30 to 49 incl. — — — — — — — — 13 — — 
			  50 to 69 incl. — — — — 1 — — — 3 — — 
			  70 plus — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Explosion total  — — 1 — 1 — — — 29 — — 
			  
			  Burning Under 1 year — 1 — 1 — 1 — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 2 2 — — 1 1 — — — 1 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 3 1 — 3 7 1 1 2 4 2 
			  16 to 29 incl. 3 5 1 3 2 1 2 1 5 2 4 
			  30 to 49 incl. 5 3 1 3 4 3 1 7 4 6 3 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 2 — 2 1 1 4 5 1 — — 
			  70 plus — 3 1 — 3 1 1 1 — 2 3 
			 Burning total  13 19 4 9 14 15 9 15 12 15 13 
			  
			  Drowning Under 1 year 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 1 — — 1 1 1 — — — 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. — 1 — — — — 1 1 — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. — — — — 1 — — 1 1 — — 
			  30 to 49 incl. — — 2 1 1 — 2 2 — 1 — 
			  50 to 69 incl. — — — — — 1 — — — — — 
			  70 plus — — — — 1 1 — — — — — 
			 Drowning total  1 3 3 2 4 3 4 4 1 1 1 
			  
			  Poison or drugs Under 1 year 1 — — — — — 1 1 — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 1 1 2 — — — 2 — — 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. — 3 1 2 — 1 1 — 2 — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. — 2 1 1 5 2 2 — 1 — — 
			  30 to 49 incl. 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 3 2 — 3 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 7 4 — 3 23 1 2 1 — — 
			  70 plus 1 8 23 4 4 108 3 2 5 1 — 
			 Poison or drugs total  5 23 33 12 15 135 9 10 11 1 4 
			  
			  Motor vehicle Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 2 — 3 2 — 3 1 — — 1 
			  30 to 49 incl. — — 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 
			  50 to 69 incl. — 1 — 1 1 1 1 2 — — — 
			  70 plus — — — — — 1 1 — — — — 
			  unknown — — — — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Motor vehicle total  1 3 1 5 4 3 7 5 2 3 3 
			  
			  Other Under 1 year 2 9 6 16 2 8 3 5 4 5 3 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 — 1 2 2 6 2 4 — 3 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 — 1 — — 1 1 — — — 3 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 — — 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 1 3 1 1 2 — 1 — — 3 3 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 2 3 — 2 2 1 — — 1 3 
			  70 plus 3 3 4 — 6 3 5 3 3 2 5 
			 Other total  12 17 16 22 15 21 15 13 8 15 22 
			  
			  Not known Under 1 year — 2 3 — — 2 2 2 3 1 2 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 2 2 — — — 1 1 1 3 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 1 — — 2 5 1 1 2 1 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 3 2 8 2 4 5 5 7 10 8 6 
			  30 to 49 incl. 4 2 7 3 7 7 5 6 10 4 3 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 1 2 — 1 2 3 — 1 1 3 
			  70 plus — 1 2 — — 4 1 2 3 — — 
			  unknown — — — — — — — 1 1 — — 
			 Not known total  10 11 24 5 14 25 18 20 31 18 15 
			  
			  Total female victims  209 216 226 229 249 412 222 230 244 195 208 
			 — denotes nil (1) As at 4 November 2008; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which they were initially recorded as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Data for 2008-09 are not yet published. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C—Offences currently( 1)  recorded as homicide by apparent method of killing and age of victim: England and Wales, 1997-98 to 2007-08( 2, 3) 
			Year offence initially recorded as homicide( 2) 
			  Apparent method  Victim age (years)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Sharp instrument Under 1 year — — 2 1 — 1 2 — — 1 — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 — — 1 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. 5 1 5 4 7 4 6 1 4 5 10 
			  16 to 29 incl. 70 63 83 83 99 91 102 95 93 112 102 
			  30 to 49 incl. 89 94 86 96 104 108 95 104 83 114 114 
			  50 to 69 incl. 31 30 30 23 38 39 26 46 32 33 38 
			  70 plus 6 12 6 7 11 22 8 14 7 3 4 
			 Sharp instrument total  202 201 213 215 261 266 242 260 219 269 270 
			  
			  Blunt instrument Under 1 year 2 1 1 — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — 1 2 — — 1 1 — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. 1 — 2 3 — 1 — — — 1 2 
			  16 to 29 incl. 17 22 23 14 15 8 15 25 16 7 17 
			  30 to 49 incl. 23 18 25 39 30 23 30 18 21 21 21 
			  50 to 69 incl. 17 14 12 12 9 7 18 14 14 9 13 
			  70 plus 8 10 7 8 4 9 10 8 8 7 13 
			 Blunt instrument total  68 65 70 77 60 48 73 66 60 45 66 
			  
			  Hitting, kicking, etc. Under 1 year 2 4 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 1 6 
			  1 to 4 incl. 4 1 — 1 1 3 4 1 1 1 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 1 2 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 23 26 22 24 31 28 28 31 30 34 40 
			  30 to 49 incl. 46 37 53 50 65 68 62 46 52 67 77 
			  50 to 69 incl. 18 14 10 15 28 28 28 32 20 25 29 
			  70 plus 8 5 7 9 14 17 10 14 6 11 9 
			  unknown — — — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Hitting, kicking, etc. total  103 89 95 102 145 150 137 127 111 141 163 
			  
			  Strangulation( 4) Under 1 year 6 6 2 7 5 9 3 4 2 1 2 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 2 2 3 3 1 2 1 2 6 5 
			  5 to 15 incl. 3 8 4 12 3 4 2 6 2 2 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 21 17 14 27 17 18 15 15 11 17 15 
			  30 to 49 incl. 16 18 21 26 31 20 25 22 21 18 19 
			  50 to 69 incl. 8 15 10 9 8 8 13 8 11 8 10 
			  70 plus 7 12 3 5 11 7 7 8 8 2 5 
			  unknown — — — 58 — — — — — — — 
			 Strangulation total  62 78 56 147 78 67 67 64 57 54 57 
			  
			  Shooting( 5) Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — 1 1 — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 — — 1 4 2 2 2 — 5 2 
			  16 to 29 incl. 15 20 25 35 47 36 27 36 28 32 30 
			  30 to 49 incl. 29 21 29 25 36 31 26 23 17 14 16 
			  50 to 69 incl. 5 5 6 7 7 6 10 2 4 7 3 
			  70 plus 1 — 1 3 2 — 2 4 — 1 2 
			  unknown — — — — — — — 3 1 — — 
			 Shooting total  52 46 61 72 97 75 67 70 50 59 53 
			  
			  Explosion( 6) Under 1 year — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — — — — — — — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 1 — 1 1 — 1 — 1 24 — — 
			  30 to 49 incl. — 1 3 1 — 1 — — 21 — — 
			  50 to 69 incl. — 1 — — 1 — — 1 8 1 — 
			  70 plus — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Explosion total  1 2 4 2 1 2 — 2 53 1 — 
			  
			  Burning Under 1 year — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 1 — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 4 4 — 1 2 2 1 1 — 3 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. 8 4 3 1 3 7 6 3 5 5 3 
			  16 to 29 incl. 4 8 1 4 4 3 6 1 8 2 7 
			  30 to 49 incl. 9 5 4 8 12 5 9 11 9 12 10 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 6 1 3 4 2 5 12 3 3 2 
			  70 plus 1 4 4 — 4 2 1 3 1 4 3 
			 Burning total  28 32 13 18 29 22 28 32 27 29 27 
			  
			  Drowning( 7) Under 1 year 2 1 1 1 — — 1 — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 3 — 2 1 4 2 2 1 1 1 
			  5 to 15 incl. — 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 — 1 — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 2 — 1 2 5 — 4 4 2 — 4 
			  30 to 49 incl. — 1 2 2 2 — 16 4 1 6 — 
			  50 to 69 incl. 1 — 1 — 1 1 — 1 — 1 1 
			  70 plus — — — — 1 1 — — — — — 
			 Drowning total  6 6 6 9 12 7 24 12 4 9 6 
			  
			  Poison or drugs( 8) Under 1 year 1 — — 2 — 1 1 1 2 — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — 3 4 2 1 3 — 4 1 3 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. — 7 4 3 — 5 2 — 2 1 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 5 11 9 10 10 9 3 6 4 9 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 7 8 8 9 16 10 9 10 12 9 14 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 10 5 1 3 28 1 4 3 1 — 
			  70 plus 2 8 23 6 5 146 4 4 7 3 — 
			 Poison or drugs total  17 47 53 33 35 202 20 29 31 26 20 
			  
			  Motor vehicle( 9) Under 1 year — — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			  1 to 4 incl. — — — — — — — 1 1 — — 
			  5 to 15 incl. — — 1 1 1 1 3 — — — — 
			  16 to 29 incl. 5 8 1 6 7 4 8 8 5 1 3 
			  30 to 49 incl. 6 4 6 7 8 10 6 8 3 4 7 
			  50 to 69 incl. 2 2 3 1 3 4 3 5 4 — 1 
			  70 plus — — — — — 2 2 — 1 — 1 
			  unknown — — — — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Motor vehicle total  13 14 11 16 19 21 22 22 14 6 12 
			  
			  Other Under 1 year 15 20 19 34 8 16 14 12 11 9 12 
			  1 to 4 incl. 4 3 2 7 5 11 5 8 — 6 5 
			  5 to 15 incl. 3 — 1 1 — 1 1 2 — 1 4 
			  16 to 29 incl. 4 2 1 11 5 4 5 5 2 5 8 
			  30 to 49 incl. 2 5 4 7 5 7 3 6 4 10 9 
			  50 to 69 incl. 4 8 5 4 6 4 3 4 2 7 8 
			  70 plus 6 5 8 4 11 5 5 4 6 3 6 
			 Other total  38 43 40 68 40 48 36 41 25 41 52 
			  
			  Not known Under 1 year 1 4 5 — — 2 4 3 6 4 4 
			  1 to 4 incl. 1 3 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 4 2 
			  5 to 15 incl. 2 1 — — 4 5 1 2 4 4 1 
			  16 to 29 incl. 6 3 17 4 6 11 13 19 20 19 11 
			  30 to 49 incl. 6 6 18 7 11 14 22 19 31 18 10 
			  50 to 69 incl. 3 5 8 2 5 6 16 3 3 10 9 
			  70 plus — 1 3 — 4 6 2 2 5 3 — 
			  unknown — — — — — — — 10 1 — — 
			 Not known total  19 23 53 14 31 45 60 59 72 62 37 
			  
			  Total all victims  609 646 675 773 808 953 776 784 723 742 763 
			 — denotes nil (1) As at 4 November 2008; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which they were initially recorded as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Data for 2008-09 are not yet published. (4) Including asphyxiation. Year 2000-01 includes 58 Chinese nationals who collectively suffocated in a lorry en route into the UK. (5) These figures include shooting by crossbows, but excludes cases where the firearm was used as a blunt instrument. (6) Year 2005-06 includes 52 victims of the 7 July London bombings. (7) Year 2003-04 includes 20 cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay. (8) Year 2002-03 includes 172 victims of Dr. Shipman. (9) Excluding death by careless/dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.

Departmental Correspondence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters from members of the public to her Department had not been replied to after more than  (a) one month and  (b) three months at the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: On 27 January 2008, 28 letters from members of the public had been awaiting a reply for more than one month. A further 24 public letters had been awaiting a reply for more than three months.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which her Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Phil Woolas: The information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to her Department was of travel by train by its staff in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The Department's expenditure on train travel is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Home Office  Identity and Passport Service 
			 1996-97 154 (1)— 
			 1997-98 385 (1)— 
			 1998-99 498 (1)— 
			 1999-2000 804 (1)— 
			 2000-01 1,248 (1)— 
			 2001-02 1,681 (1)— 
			 2002-03 2,180 398 
			 2003-04 1,961 453 
			 2004-05 4,273 804 
			 2005-06 6,161 1,237 
			 2006-07 9,262 1,612 
			 2007-08 5,268 1,741 
			 (1) Not known. 
		
	
	The Home Office figures for 1996-97 to 2006-07 include expenditure for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Office of Criminal Justice and Reform (OCJR), which transferred to Ministry of Justice on 1 April 2007: these figures could not be deducted from the Home Office total without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Of the Department's agencies, expenditure on rail travel in the Identity and Passport Service could not be identified separately until February 2002. The information for the years 1996-97 to 2001-02 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. Criminal Records Bureau cannot identify rail expenditure without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on holding departmental away days outside her Department's buildings.

Phil Woolas: There is no central policy on holding departmental away days outside the Department's buildings.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many language translators are employed in each of her Department's Executive agencies; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office headquarters (HQ) and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) do not employ any language translators or interpreters; translators are hired as and when a specific need exists. It is not possible to provide the cost of the translating services used by HQ and UKBA without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) employ four examiners who, among other things, deal with applications and inquiries submitted in Welsh. The salary scale for examiners ranges from £15,977 to £17,459. IPS also paid £2,785 for external translating services in the 2008-09 financial year up to the end of December 2008.
	The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) employs one Welsh translator at executive officer grade; the salary scale for an executive office in CRB is £19,829 to £24,789.

Deposited Papers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy when placing material in the Library in response to a parliamentary question to supply a copy of the material to the hon. Member who tabled the question; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: It is our practice to provide a copy to the hon. Member.

Drugs: Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department has collected on the relationship between retail theft and  (a) drug and  (b) alcohol addiction; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The relationship between any crime and drug or alcohol misuse is complex. There is some evidence which points to the relationship between acquisitive crimes and drug misuse. The links between acquisitive crime and alcohol are less clear in the current evidence base. The information held by the Department does not focus specifically on retail theft, but focuses on the broader categories of 'theft' or 'acquisitive crime'.
	The Department has commissioned a number of studies which provide information on the relationship between acquisitive crime and drug/or alcohol use. In addition, monitoring data from the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) are routinely collated.
	 The Arrestee Survey: provides information on arrestees' self-reported offending while using drugs and reported crimes committed in order to buy/get hold of drugs. The survey also provides data for the number of arrestees who are assessed on the basis of a validated tool as being 'alcohol dependent'.
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1207.pdf
	 The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study: is a representative study of drug treatment-seekers in England and Wales. The findings from this survey provide information on the number of treatment-seekers who had committed offences prior to interview, the number committing offences in order to buy drugs, and the numbers committing offences while under the influence of drugs.
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/horr03c.pdf
	 The Offending Crime and Justice Survey, a survey of offending among young people in the general population, asks whether offenders who had committed 'other thefts' (including retail but not limited to) had taken alcohol or drugs at the time of the offence.
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1706.pdf
	 The Drug Interventions Programme provides information on the number of positive drug tests (class A, specifically heroin, crack and cocaine) in 107 basic command units (BCUs) for those arrested and charged with a number of trigger offences, including theft.

Drugs: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which schemes have received funding under the Communities Against Drugs Initiative in the Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since 1997; how much was received under each scheme; and what targets were set relating to crime reduction under each scheme.

Alan Campbell: The Communities Against Drugs (CAD) initiative was launched in April 2001. It was designed to provide funding to local areas to implement action to tackle local drugs issues. Under the initiative, Dacorum borough council received £108,500 in 2001-02 and in 2002-03.
	From 2003-04 CAD funding, the Partnership Development Fund and the Safer Communities Initiative Fund were combined to create the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSC). The BSC was designed to enable local crime and drugs partnerships to take a more flexible approach to the use of funds to reduce crime and other drug-related problems. Under the BSC scheme, Dacorum received £147,372 in 2003-04 and £151,056 in both 2004-05 and 2005-06.
	In 2005-06 the BSC fund formed part of the Home Office contribution to the Safer Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF), a joint Communities and Local Government (CLG)-Home Office funding stream aimed at tackling crime, drugs and antisocial behaviour, empowering communities, improving the condition of streets and public spaces and prioritising the most deprived neighbourhoods. SSCF was paid, through CLG, to unitary and top-tier authorities.
	From April 2008, SSCF has formed part of the Area Based Grant (ABG). The ABG is paid, through CLG, to local authorities on a three-year basis, in the form of a general non-ringfenced revenue grant, providing local authorities with certainty and flexibility of funding to meet local priorities.

Drugs: Misuse

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals aged over 65 years resident in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government Office region were arrested for possession of either class A or class B drugs in the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, which includes drug offences.
	From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.

Entry Clearances

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many elected representatives from other democratic countries have been refused entry to the UK since 2000.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide definitive figures on the number of democratically elected representatives of other countries that have been refused entry between 2000 and 2008. This information can be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 152W, on entry clearances, what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average processing time was for those applications not processed within the public service agreement target times; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: In financial year 2007-08 we only measured visa processing times against PSA targets. We did not monitor performance outside these targets. New customer service standards for visa processing times were introduced in January 2009 and are published on the Border Agency's Visa Services website, together with actual monthly processing times for each visa-issuing post. These are end-to-end processing times which include processing at Visa Application Centres (run by our commercial partners) as well as processing at Visa Sections.

Former Ministers: Security

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of providing special protection for former Ministers in the UK was in 2007-08.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1779W.

Genetics: Databases

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of cases where  (a) fingerprints,  (b) DNA and  (c) a photograph have been entered on to the Police National Computer as a result of the issuing of penalty notices for disorder.

Alan Campbell: This information is not held centrally.

Identity Cards

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many identity cards had been issued by her Department at the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: As at 26 February 2009, 10,596 identity cards had been issued to foreign nationals.

Immigration: Data Protection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures her Department uses to authorise officials to access electronic files and databases relating to an individual's  (a) immigration status,  (b) asylum application and  (c) passport application; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has secure process for granting access to computer systems for immigration and asylum. Computer systems, including processes for granting access, go through an accreditation process led by the Department of Security Unit.

Immigration: Ethiopia

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Ethiopian citizens and their dependants  (a) were removed or deported and  (b) left the UK voluntarily as a result of (i) an unsuccessful application for asylum and (ii) a breach of immigration conditions in (A) each of the last five years and (B) at the latest date in 2009 for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 February 2009
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons removed, including voluntary departures, from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis. National Statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Immigration: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals seeking indefinite leave to remain who are resident in Peterborough constituency have been waiting for their determination of status for a period of  (a) less than 12 months,  (b) between 12 and 24 months,  (c) between 24 and 36 months and  (d) more than 36 months; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The following table details the number of applicants resident in Peterborough awaiting a decision on their indefinite leave to remain application broken down by specified periods, but without reference to the reason.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			  Applicants recorded as being resident in the Peterborough postal area awaiting a decision regarding an application for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, by specified period, on 15 January 2009 
			   Number 
			 Less than 12 months 110 
			 12-24 months 10 
			 24-36 months 25 
			 More than 36 months 40 
			 Total 185 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five 2 Data relate to lead applicants only  Source:  UKBA Case Information Database

Intelligence Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the reports her predecessors received on the activities of the security service in relation to the 1984 miners' strike, with particular reference to intelligence received from the National Union of Mineworkers and the method by which it was obtained.

Vernon Coaker: It is the established policy of successive Governments to offer no comment in response to questions about alleged activities of the intelligence and security agencies. The Home Office can therefore not confirm or deny whether the Secretary of State for the Home Department's predecessors received reports in connection to the 1984 miners' strike.

North Wales Police: Sick Leave

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many North Wales police officers currently absent from work through illness have been absent for a period of  (a) between three and six months,  (b) between six and 12 months and (c) more than 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The information requested is not held centrally. The available data relating to police sickness absence are for the amount of police officer and police staff working time lost to sickness. The data are available on the Home Office website, located at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performanceandmeasurement/performanceassessment/assessments-2007-2008/north-wales

Offenders: Personal Records

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations other than police forces are permitted to use the Police National Computer; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: There is a substantial body of legislation which regulates the Police National Computer (PNC), the principal part of which is the Data Protection Act (1984, 1988, 1998 and 2003) and part 5 of the Police Act 1997. The code of practice for the management of police information, introduced under the provisions of the Police Act 1996 and the National Police Records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000, form a secondary layer of regulation.
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary inspects police forces' use of PNC.
	Access to PNC by non-police organisations is governed by the PNC Information Access Panel (PIAP), whose membership is comprised of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities, the Home Office, and the National Policing Improvement Agency.
	Any business case considered by PIAP requesting access to the PNC must:
	1. Identify where there is a lawful and justifiable reason for the granting of access. 'Justifiable' is to include:
	Protection of Life and Property
	Preserving Order
	Preventing the Commission of Offences
	Bringing Offenders to Justice
	Counter Terrorism.
	2. Determine whether the access is appropriate to the lawful data needs of the applicant organisation.
	3. Ensure appropriate safeguards exist for compliance with data protection and human rights legislation or information assurance rules.
	4. Make sure adequate security measures are in place for the transmission to and storage in the requesting organisation.
	5. Be certain that an appropriate training regime exists in the applicant organisation for users of PNC.
	PIAP has defined the following organisations as 'non-police' and has agreed that authorised users within these organisations can have a level of access commensurate with their previously stated and agreed business needs.
	 Non-police organisations with access to PNC:
	1. Access Northern Ireland
	2. Charity Commission for England and Wales
	3. Criminal Cases Review Commission
	4. Criminal Records Bureau
	5. Defence Vetting Agency
	6. Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	7. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	8. Department for Transport
	9. Department for Work and Pensions
	10. Disclosure Scotland
	11. Drivers Vehicle and Licensing Authority
	12. Environment Agency
	13. Financial Services Authority
	14. Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	15. Gangmasters Licensing Authority
	16. Health and Safety Executive
	17. Highways Agency
	18. Her Majesty's Prison Service
	19. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
	20. Home Office
	21. Independent Police Complaints Commission
	22. Jersey Customs and Immigration
	23. Mersey Tunnels Police
	24. Ministry of Justice
	25. National Air Traffic Service
	26. National Health Service
	27.Office of Civil Nuclear Security
	28. Office of Fair Trading
	29. Royal Mail
	30. United Kingdom Border Agency
	31. Vehicle and Operators Service Agency.

Offensive Weapons: Crime Prevention

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much had been spent on the implementation of the Tackling Knives Action Programme in each of the participating areas at the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will take steps to implement the programme in other areas with high levels of knife crime.

Vernon Coaker: More than £5 million has been spent on the implementation of the Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP). A breakdown of the £1.8 million that was initially invested in the 10 areas is appended as follows. A further £300,000 was provided to the forces to procure 85 search arches and 566 wands in addition to the 350 wands and 100 arches previously provided nationally.
	In October, £3.4 million of extra funding was allocated to police forces in the TKAP areas to extend after-school patrols, Safer Schools Partnerships and Operation Staysafe programmes, to ensure that young people are kept safe in and around their school. A further £100,000 has also been made available to combat underage sales of knives.
	In addition to the 10 'first tier', TKAP police forces have also identified Bedfordshire, South Yorkshire and Northumbria as areas that could benefit from TKAP's intensive approach as well as the British Transport police. The geographical coverage of TKAP continues to be kept under review.
	
		
			  Initial investment in TKAP police force areas 
			   £ 
			  First tier forces  
			 Metropolitan Police Service 250,000.00 
			 Essex Police 150,000.00 
			 Greater Manchester Police 150,000.00 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 150,000.00 
			 Merseyside Police 150,000.00 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 150,000.00 
			 South Wales Police 150,000.00 
			 Thames Valley Police 150,000.00 
			 West Midlands Police 150,000.00 
			 West Yorkshire Police 150,000.00 
			   
			  Second tier forces  
			 Bedfordshire Police 51,785.00 
			 British Transport Police 50,000.00 
			 Northumbria Police 57,000.00 
			 South Yorkshire Police 50,000.00

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department will allocate to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner in each of the next three years; and how much will be allocated specifically for the regulation of those who provide immigration advice and services.

Phil Woolas: The grant in aid to be given to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) for the year 2009-10 is under consideration but has not yet been completed.

Police: Compensation

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what scheme of compensation exists for British police officers injured while working in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 9 March 2009
	British police officers serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, or their dependants, are eligible for an award under the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations if they become permanently disabled as a result of an injury received in the execution of duty. Police officers serving in those countries may also be eligible for an award under a separate compensation scheme administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the event of an injury while on or off duty in the mission area.

Police: Greater Manchester

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost of policing the new electronic borders operations centre in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester.

Phil Woolas: We have taken the view that the benefit of protecting this facility far outweighs the cost.

Police: Powers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to modernise the  (a) powers and  (b) practices of police forces.

Vernon Coaker: h olding answer 2 March 2009
	 : The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the accompanying PACE codes of practice are subject to ongoing review.
	A formal public consultation on PACE and modernising police powers was carried out in March 2007 and August 2008. The PACE review website provides full details of the consultation process.
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/PACE-Review/

Police: Road Traffic Control

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many road traffic police officers there were in 1996; and how many there are at the present time.

Vernon Coaker: Available data relate to 1995-96 and 2007-08, when there were 8,084 and 6,299 full-time equivalent police officers respectively employed in the function traffic.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much local authorities spent on average in each of the last five years on policing prostitution.

Alan Campbell: Police funding is devolved directly to police forces from central Government and it is for each force to identify how its budget is spent.
	Therefore, the Home Office does not monitor the spending by different forces on specific aspects of policing.

Religious Buildings: Wiltshire

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places of religious worship of each faith denomination in  (a) Salisbury constituency and  (b) Wiltshire (i) are certified under the Places of Religious Worship Registration Act 1855 and (ii) have been so certified in each of the last five years.

Shahid Malik: I have been asked to reply.
	The register of buildings registered for worship is not held in a format that can be readily broken down into individual parliamentary constituencies. The closest geographical area for registration purposes which includes Salisbury and Wiltshire is the registration district of Wiltshire. There are currently 260 places of meeting for religious worship certified under the Act for the registration district of Wiltshire. These are broken down by faith and denomination as follows:
	
		
			  Faith  Number of buildings 
			 Roman Catholics 26 
			 Methodists 82 
			 Congregationalists 10 
			 Baptists 61 
			 United Reformed 19 
			 Brethren 3 
			 Salvation Army 5 
			 Unitarians 1 
			 Society of Friends 4 
			 Jehovah's Witness 8 
			 Other Christian Bodies 41 
			  Note: Other Christian Bodies includes Christian denominations such as Assemblies of God, Pentecostal, Spiritualists and Independents. 
		
	
	During the last five years the following places of meeting for religious worship have been certified by faith and denomination in the registration district of Wiltshire:
	
		
			  Faith  Number of places of meeting 
			  2005  
			 Christians not otherwise designated 1 
			   
			  2006  
			 Baptists 1

Security Services: Equality

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of  (a) field-based and  (b) office-based Security Service officers were of each  (a) ethnicity,  (b) religious faith and  (c) sex in each year since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: The available information on ethnicity and gender is provided in the following table. Similar information by religious faith is not available. The Security Service does not record such information differentiating between field-based and office-based staff.
	
		
			   Gender  Ethnicity 
			   Numbers of females  Percentage of females  Numbers of black minority ethnic  Percentage of black minority ethnic 
			 2001 882 46.4 62 3.3 
			 2002 902 46.4 72 3.6 
			 2003 993 47.4 83 4.0 
			 2004 1,061 47.6 103 4.6 
			 2005 1,107 46.5 116 4.9 
			 2006 1,156 44.5 158 6.1 
			 2007 1,260 43.9 189 6.6 
			 2008 1,386 41.9 227 6.9 
			 2009 1,454 41.8 237 6.8 
			  Note: All figures are as at 1 April, except 2009 which is as at 1 January. In line with Whitehall practice, ethnic monitoring is carried out on the basis of self declaration and is calculated as a percentage of those declaring ethnic origin—the response rate is around 98 per cent.

Terrorism

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges relating to offences under counter-terrorism legislation were brought by police in England in 2006.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office science research group will be publishing a statistical bulletin on terrorism arrests and outcomes. This will provide detail on terrorism related charges and convictions, providing a breakdown of specific offences. The bulletin will show the numbers of people charged and convicted and the charge to conviction ratio.
	The bulletin is due to be published shortly.

Terrorism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government are taking to prevent acts of terrorism.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 March 2009
	 The Government have in place a comprehensive strategy to address the threat from terrorism—called Contest—which is based around four pillars:
	Prevent—stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism;
	Pursue—stopping terrorist attacks;
	Protect—strengthening our overall protection against terrorist attack; and
	Prepare—where we cannot stop an attack, to mitigate its impact.
	We have spent much of the last year updating this strategy. This is very much about learning from our experiences and successes in recent years. A revised version of Contest will be published shortly.

Terrorism: Information Sharing

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her counterparts in those EU member states which allow for the admissibility of intercept evidence in the prosecution of suspected terrorists and others involved in serious crimes on the subject; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has regular contact with her EU counterparts in the Justice and Home Affairs Council and in bilateral meetings. She has not had any specific discussions relating to intercept as evidence (IAE) with her counterparts in EU member states.
	The Terms of Reference of the cross-party Privy Council Review of IAE (CM7324), established by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in July 2007, included the requirement to consider the experience of other countries and their relevance to the UK. It found that (para 180):
	"the approaches adopted by the EU countries, other than the Republic of Ireland, tend not to have great relevance for the UK..."
	It also noted (para 135) that in the Republic of Ireland the practice is:
	"not to use intercept product as evidence in prosecutions".
	Progress on implementing the Privy Council Review's recommendations can be found in the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 89-90WS.

Travel Requirements: Fraud

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detections of instances of travel document fraud were made at  (a) ports of entry and  (b) compliance offices since 1 May 2004 in respect of travel documents issued by EU member states, broken down by issuing state.

Phil Woolas: h olding answer 27 January 2009
	 : The following tables detail the detections of false European Union documents at UK border agency border force offices and immigration group enforcement offices for the period in question. They include passports, identity cards, refugee travel documents and emergency travel documents.
	
		
			  Border  f orce detections of false EU travel document s 
			  Country  2004( 1)  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 AUT-Austria 30 28 18 15 8 99 
			 BEL-Belgium 249 140 91 60 97 637 
			 BGR-Bulgaria n/a n/a n/a 87 113 200 
			 CYP-Cyprus 3 4 4 12 20 43 
			 CZE-Czech 56 71 80 50 44 301 
			 D-Germany 178 121 87 50 44 480 
			 DNK-Denmark 41 60 57 15 16 189 
			 ESP-Spain 78 100 78 32 41 329 
			 EST-Estonia 8 12 1 3 8 32 
			 FIN-Finland 3 5 4 16 20 48 
			 FRA-France 497 536 310 143 207 1,693 
			 GBR-Great Britain 656 622 367 348 283 2,276 
			 GRC-Greece 146 137 97 65 85 530 
			 HUN-Hungary 37 99 79 7 8 230 
			 IRL-Ireland 11 20 8 3 4 46 
			 ITA-Italy 221 218 228 162 157 986 
			 LTU-Lithuania 295 460 261 103 105 1,224 
			 LUX-Luxembourg 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			 LVA-Latvia 15 51 75 37 23 201 
			 MLT-Malta 1 0 1 2 3 7 
			 NLD-Netherlands 475 264 152 118 95 1,104 
			 POL-Poland 71 140 178 107 110 606 
			 PRT-Portugal 256 243 243 163 145 1,050 
			 ROU-Romania n/a n/a n/a 130 83 213 
			 SVK-Slovakia 46 50 56 56 56 264 
			 SVN-Slovenia 19 13 25 17 12 86 
			 SWE-Sweden 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Total 3,393 3,395 2,500 1,801 1,788 12,877 
		
	
	
		
			  Immigration group enforcement detections of false EU travel documents 
			  Country  2004( 1)  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 AUT-Austria 0 1 0 1 0 2 
			 BEL-Belgium 23 52 44 88 75 282 
			 BGR-Bulgaria n/a n/a n/a 5 7 12 
			 CYP-Cyprus 0 0 0 2 1 3 
			 CZE-Czech 2 1 8 15 6 32 
			 D-Germany 0 1 2 23 7 33 
			 DNK-Denmark 10 11 15 12 8 56 
			 ESP-Spain 19 31 62 77 54 243 
			 EST-Estonia 2 0 7 4 2 15 
			 FIN-Finland 2 1 0 5 3 11 
			 FRA-France 120 138 157 159 147 721 
			 GBR-Great Britain 24 66 91 91 69 341 
			 GRC-Greece 29 52 52 42 24 199 
			 HUN-Hungary 0 3 8 0 1 12 
			 IRL-Ireland 2 0 2 1 0 5 
			 ITA-Italy 64 78 132 119 76 469 
			 LTU-Lithuania 77 91 62 57 48 335 
			 LUX-Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 LVA-Latvia 1 11 28 33 12 85 
			 MLT-Malta 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 NLD-Netherlands 14 42 33 31 20 140 
			 POL-Poland 28 3 15 7 7 60 
			 PRT-Portugal 85 130 100 197 125 637 
			 ROU-Romania n/a n/a n/a 9 16 25 
			 SVK-Slovakia 0 6 4 9 3 22 
			 SVN-Slovenia 0 0 12 4 4 20 
			 SWE-Sweden 2 0 4 1 1 8 
			 Total 504 718 838 992 716 3,768 
			 (1) From 1 May 2004

UK Border Agency

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals the UK Border Agency employed at the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: As at 31 December 2008, the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) employed directly 18,078 individuals (excluding 1,206 employees on career break, loan to other Government Departments, maternity leave etc.).

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy that replies sent from the UK Border Agency to letters from hon. Members are issued by the Chief Executive of the Agency.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The UK Border Agency receives approximately 50,000 letters from hon. Members each year. As such, it is not possible for the Chief Executive to reply to each letter individually.
	Where a hon. Member has written to Ministers about the day to day operations of the UK Border Agency the Chief Executive or Deputy Chief Executive will reply. Where hon. Members have written to the Chief Executive, because of the volumes involved, a local manager may reply.

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to reply to the letter of 6 November 2008 (Special Delivery reference ZC982623786GB), the email of 2 December 2008 and letter of 19 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, sent on behalf of Satnam Kaur Thomas (Home Office reference number J1055280).

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the right hon. Member on 5 March 2009.

Vetting

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the Government plans to provide standard disclosures for criminal record bureau checks;
	(2)  what recent estimate she has made of the cost of introducing standard disclosures for criminal record bureau checks.

Shahid Malik: I have been asked to reply.
	Standard level disclosures (criminal records checks) have been available since the launch of the CRB Disclosure Service in March 2002. Therefore there has been no recent estimate made of the cost of their introduction.

Vetting: Finance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost to process Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks in the last year for which figures are available; how many CRB checks were carried out in that period; and how much was received in fees for checks in that period.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 3 March 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The cost to process Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks in the last financial year for which information is available (2007-08) is £88.2 million. During that period the CRB processed 3.4 million disclosures, which generated £97.8 million in revenue from fees. It should be borne in mind that 20 per cent. of the disclosures processed were for volunteer applications for which there is no charge, which represents a considerable saving to the voluntary sector. The CRB is committed to providing free-of-charge checks for volunteers.

Work Permits: Applications

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many work permits were refused for non-UK born applicants in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008;
	(2)  how many work permits have been approved for non-UK job applicants for jobs in which no suitably qualified UK-born applicant could be found in 2007-08.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency only maintains statistics on the nationality of work permit applicants and not their country of birth.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Relations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 582-3W, on community relations, when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary plans to report on its inspection of Prevent performance in police forces in England and Wales.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary are nearing completion of their inspection of police Prevent activity, and plan to report their findings in April 2009.

Council Housing: Overcrowding

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to announce additional funding to assist local housing authorities to deal with severe over-crowding.

Iain Wright: We have allocated an additional £5 million of resource grant funding for 2009-10 to support a strategic and proactive approach to tackling overcrowding in the worst affected local authority areas. We have asked all pathfinders to focus on tackling severe overcrowding in the social stock. My officials wrote to relevant local authorities to inform them of their individual grant allocations on 24 and 25 February.

Council Housing: Rents

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated average rise in council housing rents will be from April 2009.

Iain Wright: This information is not yet available.
	The Minister for Housing announced on 6 March that Communities and Local Government will shortly be consulting local authorities on a reduced national average guideline rent increase of 3.1 per cent. for 2009-10. This halves the existing national increase of 6.2 per cent. in recognition of the current difficult economic times. Authorities that reduce their rent increases in response to our offer will be compensated by central Government through the subsidy system.
	We have also already committed to looking again at the 2010-11 national guideline rent increase in the light of circumstances closer to the start of that financial year.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on local authority housing waiting lists in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority area at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the noble Lord Ouseley, on 27 January 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, columns WA37-38. The number of households registered on local authority housing waiting lists in each local authority, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The latest available data are at April 2008. The link for this table is:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table600.xls
	A copy of the table has been deposited in the Library.

Council Tax: Discounts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities offer a local council tax discount to pensioners.

John Healey: As at 6 October 2008, five authorities—Bury metropolitan borough council, Kirklees council, Lincoln city council, the London borough of Hillingdon and the metropolitan borough council of Wirral—reported that they offer local council tax discounts for pensioners.

Departmental Furniture

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 343W, on departmental furniture, which suppliers provided furniture and fitting services to her Department in 2007-08.

Sadiq Khan: The firms who supplied furniture and fittings to the Department were Herman Miller, Steelcase Solutions and Office Storage Solutions Ltd.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services her Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: No payments have been made to Deborah Mattinson and only one payment has been made to Opinion Leader Research since 31 December 2007. The payment to Opinion Leader Research was £55,210. This was in connection with a contract to carry out research to develop the evidence base for the PSA 16 settled accommodation indicators.

EC Grants and Loans

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the total financial correction likely to be imposed on the UK by the European Commission in respect of irregularities in management of European funds.

John Healey: The Department made provision of £33 million in respect of a decision expected from the European Commission in respect of the closure of the 1997-1999 round of structural funds programmes, although we now expect the final figure to be less than this.

Empty Property

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of empty homes which have been brought back into use in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.

Fire Prevention

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's Fire and Resilience Research Programme for 2008, whether she plans to commission a longitudinal study of the effects of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: An initial evaluation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 will be published shortly. This will provide a basis for a future, longer-term evaluation planned and serve as a baseline against which to consider the impact and effectiveness of the order over time.

Fire Prevention

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department's Fire and Resilience Research Programme for 2008, what progress has been made on research into the optimal size of a fire and rescue service; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: Research into the optimal size of the fire and rescue service was not taken forward.

Fire Prevention

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many buildings which were exempt from the regulatory requirements of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 are subject to the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Sadiq Khan: We do not hold data on the number of premises covered by the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. It applies to all non-domestic premises, including the common or shared parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
	Neither do we hold data on the number of premises designated by the Secretary of State under the 1971 Fire Precautions Act which were required to apply for and hold a fire certificate. Premises designated under the 1971 Act were:
	(i) hotels and boarding houses providing accommodation for more than six people (whether employees or guests) or providing sleeping accommodation elsewhere than on the ground or first floors of the premises;
	(ii) factories, offices and shops where more than 20 people worked at anyone time or more than 10 worked at any one time elsewhere than on the ground floor; and
	(iii) smaller factories where significant quantities of highly flammable substances were stored.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire and rescue authorities are contracted to support the FiReControl project; and whether there are break clauses in each of those contracts.

Sadiq Khan: None. The IT contract for FiReControl is between my Department and EADS Defence and Security. This contract was signed in March 2007 and the first break point is March 2015.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 724W, on New Dimension Programme, if she will place in the Library a copy of the report by NERA UK Ltd on the New Dimension Programme.

Sadiq Khan: The report will be placed in the Library of the House when completed, which is expected to be April 2009.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 634-5W, on fire services, if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the Fireguard project board that are held by Firebuy.

Sadiq Khan: The minutes of the meeting of the Fireguard project board were produced by the Chief Fire Officers' Association. It is for them to decide if copies can be made publicly available.

Fire Services: East of England

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the new fire control centre for the east of England to be  (a) completed and  (b) fully operational.

Sadiq Khan: The East of England Regional Control Centre building was completed on 1 October 2008. The current expectation is that the emergency calls of the first fire and rescue services using the East of England Regional Control Centre (Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire) will cut over in October 2011, with all East of England FRSs using the services by December 2011.

Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has made for fire cover in the event of  (a) a local and  (b) a national fire strike pending full take-up of the Fireguard programme.

Sadiq Khan: The planning for the provision of emergency fire cover during industrial disputes is the responsibility of Fire and Rescue Authorities. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 lays down duties for specified "Category 1 responders", including fire and rescue authorities, to assess, plan and advise in relation to emergencies. For a fire and rescue authority, an emergency includes a period of industrial action.

Fire Services: Influenza

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the preparedness of  (a) fire and rescue authorities and  (b) local authorities for an influenza pandemic.

Sadiq Khan: The Government make no detailed assessment of preparedness for this purpose as it is for local authorities and the Fire and Rescue Service to decide how to meet their legal obligations to plan for an influenza pandemic under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. As members of Local Resilience Forums they are also required to work with other local emergency responders to co-ordinate their planning against such a contingency. Also, these "flu plans" are regularly tested and validated during both national and local exercises.

Fire Services: Medals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 770W, on fire services, if she will make it her policy to make staff in regional fire control rooms eligible for the Fire Brigade's Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Sadiq Khan: Staff in the new regional control centres controlled by local authority owned companies will not be in fire brigade employment and will not therefore be eligible for the Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal under the terms of the Royal Warrant. There is currently no proposal to change the Royal Warrant.

Firebuy

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 631W, on the departmental expenditure limit, if she will set out what the nature, parties and status was of the legal dispute over Firebuy and the Integrated Clothing Project procurement.

Sadiq Khan: The legal dispute concerned the procurement process for the Integrated Clothing Project and was brought by Lion Apparel Systems Ltd against Firebuy Ltd. An agreement has now been reached between the parties to settle the dispute and all claims against Firebuy have been withdrawn.

Firebuy

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 631W, on the departmental expenditure limit, for what purposes the remaining £1.9 million of public funds was transferred to Firebuy.

Sadiq Khan: CLG has provided £1.9 million in 2008-09 to cover the forecast running costs of Firebuy Ltd.

Housing: EC Action

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 775W, on housing: EC action, what timetable has been set for conducting the impact assessment of the EU proposal; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the completed assessment.

Iain Wright: The impact assessment is currently being prepared and we are aiming for it to be completed by the end of this month. A copy of the completed assessment will be placed in the Library of the House.

Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what projects the Improvement and Development Agency receives funding from her Department.

John Healey: In 2008-09, the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) received £25,335,000 revenue support grant (RSG) funding from my Department, to provide core services for local government improvement. In addition, £3,395,000 of additional departmental funding was added to the top slice the IDeA received to enable them to provide services which the Department wished to see supported, the details of which are as follows:
	
		
			  Project  £ 
			 Innovation and Excellence (inc Beacons) 675,000 
			 Good Practice—IDeA Knowledge and Renewal.net 300,000 
			 Programme Support 400,000 
			 Migration—Good Practice 20,000 
			 Support for the Leadership Centre 2,000,000 
			   
			 Total 3,395,000

Local Government Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to reduce the length of time they take to pay the invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1044W.

Local Government Information Unit: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department and its predecessor have given to the Local Government Information Unit in each of the last five years; and for what purposes.

Sadiq Khan: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Purpose  £ 
			
			 2004 Reimbursement of conference fees -2,943.28 
			
			 2005 Reimbursement of conference fees -6,021.88 
			  Reimbursement of training course fees -176.25 
			
			 2006 Reimbursement of conference fees -82.25 
			
			 2007 — — 
			
			 2008 Reimbursement of consulting fees -20,004.38 
			
			 2009 Reimbursement of salary -65,963.25 
			  Refund of travel costs -15,102.04 
			  Reimbursement of consultant costs -85,042.98 
			  Reimbursement of legal fees -1,178.75

Local Government: Elections

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to help local authorities prepare for local elections in areas where European elections will be held alongside those for local authorities.

John Healey: The Government are working with the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators and other stakeholders including regional returning officers to ensure that all necessary legislation and guidance is in place for these elections. In particular in areas undergoing local government restructuring the Government legislated to enable those who will be responsible for the conduct of both local and European elections to begin preparations before 1 April 2009, the date new unitary authorities will become responsible for all local government services in their area.

Local Government: Internet

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to improve local e-government.

John Healey: The Local e-Government Programme ended in April 2006 and recent steps are designed to build upon the e-government infrastructure that is now place across England to help transform local services to better meet citizens' needs and expectations. This is in line with commitments in the 'Communities in Control' White Paper and the cross-cutting Service Transformation Agreement published in October 2007. For example, as part of service transformation activity, Communities and Local Government is currently supporting the sector through its Efficiency and Transformation Capital Fund to develop second generation local authority websites which embrace Web 2.0 features such as social networking and information sharing.

Local Government: Internet

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to promote local government services through the direct.gov portal.

Sadiq Khan: The Take-Up Campaign to encourage more people to use online council services was launched by Communities and Local Government on 8 May 2006. As part of campaign activity, a permanent destination page for local government services through the direct.gov portal has now been established at:
	http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/mycouncil/
	This page also supports the Local Directgov application, which takes users from the direct.gov website to the most relevant service page on their local council's website in just four mouse clicks, simply by entering details of their postcode, street, town or local authority name. Communities and Local Government also manages the Home and Community Franchise on the direct.gov portal, which covers a selection of local housing and neighbourhood services.

Local Government: Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what statistics  (a) her Department and  (b) the Audit Commission collect on local authority chief executives' pay.

John Healey: Neither central Government nor the Audit Commission routinely collect the information requested on the salaries of local authority chief executives. The Commission's recent report on the labour market for council chief executives, "Tougher at the Top?", drew on data from the Local Government Association's annual survey of chief executives and chief officers' salaries. The report also used an Audit Commission database identifying rates of turnover, tenure length and sources of recruitment of single tier and county council chief executives since 1998. These data were collected specifically for the research. A copy of the report can be found on the Audit Commission's website:
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/NATIONAL-REPORT/50CD0741-0884-4636-9525-B1A3FBAA8432/TougherAtTheTop22July08REP.pdf

Local Government: Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what retirement ages are set for members of the Local Government Pension Scheme; and what estimate she has made of the number of scheme members eligible to retire at 60 years under the Rule of 85 test.

John Healey: The Local Government Pension Scheme has a retirement age of 65 although members can choose to retire from age 60 when their pension may be subject to actuarial reduction. New benefit arrangements came into force from 1 April 2008, and as part of its development it was estimated that some 14 per cent. of members would be covered by the rule of 85 transitional protection up to 31 March 2016, and a further 6 per cent. by the removal of the tapered protection between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2020.

Local Government: Public Transport

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role regional Ministers have in the allocation of regional transport funds.

Sadiq Khan: Regional Ministers do not agree the regional transport funding allocations as this is the responsibility of the Transport Ministers. Regional Ministers however do work with regional partners to develop the regional priorities, providing advice and developing bids. They also support departmental Ministers to interpret the advice and have a role in disseminating messages in the region.

Migration Trust Fund

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funds were allocated from the Migration Trust Fund to police forces in England and Wales in 2008.

Sadiq Khan: In February 2008, we announced a fund to manage the transitional impacts of migration which will be available to public services, including police forces, to promote innovative ways of working in this area. The fund will raise tens of millions of pounds and will start from April 2009.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of local authorities being able to levy a business rate.

John Healey: The Lyons Inquiry into local government considered the case for returning business rates to local control. Its analysis was that this would not be appropriate at the current time. The Government agreed. However, Sir Michael Lyons' did recommend introducing a new local flexibility to set a supplement on business rates.
	In October 2007, alongside the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and comprehensive spending review, the Government published 'Business rate supplements: a White Paper'. The Business Rate Supplements Bill was then introduced in the House of Commons on 4 December 2008 and gives effect to the Government's proposals in the White Paper. The Bill provides the Greater London Authority and, outside London, upper tier local authorities with a discretionary power to levy a supplement on the business rate and retain and invest the proceeds in additional projects aimed at promoting the economic development of local areas.

Planning Permission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account  (a) local planning authorities and  (b) the Planning Inspectorate will be required to take of national policy statements (i) before and (ii) after the Infrastructure Planning Commission is operational.

Iain Wright: National Policy Statements (NPSs) will be statements of government policy. NPSs will provide a clear policy framework within which the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will take decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). NPSs may also set out policy which could have a bearing on smaller projects consented via other routes, including planning applications determined by local planning authorities (LPAs). Local planning authorities will have to take into account NPSs, as statements of government policy, when preparing their development plan documents, whether or not the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) is operational. Where development plan documents have not yet been updated to take account of a particular NPS, any relevant policy in the NPS should be taken into account by the LPA as a material consideration when making decisions on development applications.
	The Planning Inspectorate will have to take account of national policy statements, as statements of Government policy, where they are relevant to a decision on a planning appeal, or when making a recommendation to the Secretary of State on applications which have been called in for determination by the Secretary of State. NPSs may be relevant to PINS cases whether or not the IPC is operational.

Regional Planning and Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department has provided for each Regional Centre of Excellence in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the  (a) title and  (b) postal address is of each such centre.

Sadiq Khan: The most recent year figures for funding provided to Regional Centres of Excellence are for 2007-08:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 East 1.51 
			 East Midlands l 
			 London 1.08 
			 North East 0.81 
			 North West 1.14 
			 South East 1.36 
			 South West 1.07 
			 West Midlands 1.02 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 0.91 
		
	
	The Regional Centres of Excellence were subsumed with Regional Improvement Partnerships into Regional Improvemement and Efficiency Partnerships in April 2008. Due to the fact that Regional Centres of Excellence no longer exist there are no offices in place.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the meaning is of the measurement ten rotor diameters of a turbine referred to in paragraph 76 of the Planning for Renewable Energy Companion Guide to PPS22; and what guidance has been provided on that meaning.

Iain Wright: Shadow flicker from a wind turbine can be mitigated by siting it at sufficient distance from property likely to be affected. Flicker effects have been proven to occur only within '10 rotor diameters of a turbine'. The minimum separation distance to avoid shadow flicker from a wind turbine is therefore derived by multiplying the proposed rotor diameter by 10. The Companion Guide to PPS22 provides a worked example (paragraph 76) and depicts diagrammatically (Figure 5, page 162) the measurement 'one rotor diameter'.

Rodents

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 711W, on rodents, what the timetable is for the publication of English Condition Survey research relating to the period after 2003-04.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	Information from the next English House Condition Survey on rodent presence in domestic premises should be available this year, although at present there is no set date for publication.

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which registered social landlords (RSLs) operate cash incentive schemes to encourage under-occupying tenants to downsize; and how many RSL tenants have received money under this scheme in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Neither Communities and Local Government nor the Tenant Services Authority collect data relating to cash incentive schemes for RSL tenants.

Social Rented Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of how many individual properties in each local authority area records are held on the National Register for Social Housing.

Iain Wright: The total number of dwellings recorded on the National Register of Social Housing database at 28th February 2009 and allocated to a local authority area was 2,437,927. The local authority area numbers requested have been placed in the Library of the House.

Tenant Services Authority

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 784W, on the Tenant Services Authority: publicity, whether external firms provided assistance with the development of the Tenant Service Authority brand.

Iain Wright: Yes. After competitive tender, the TSA awarded the job of developing their brand to the Engage Group.

Town Centre Management Schemes

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what town centre management schemes have been established in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Responsibility for Town Centre Management schemes falls to local authorities and local partners, and information on schemes is not held centrally.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development follows CESG guidance on the use of the Wi-Fi protected access 2 (WPA2) communications security protocols in order to protect wireless networks carrying protectively marked (up to RESTRICTED/IL3) traffic. The configuration and operation standards for WPA2 are set out in CESG's Infosec Manual Y, Use of WPA2 wireless security in Government systems.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: It is not in the interest of the security of the Department for International Development, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to electronic breaches of security of the Department's IT systems. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the Department to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when they leave departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Gareth Thomas: Information is a key asset to Government and its correct handling is vital to the delivery of public services and to the integrity of HMG. The security policy framework, the data handling report and the national information assurance strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provide a strategic framework for protecting information that Government handles and put in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
	The Department for International Development is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government security policy framework, including those for information security and assurance.
	Depending upon the circumstances, a range of sanctions are available including disciplinary or administrative action, and in extreme or persistent cases, termination of employment/services and, if appropriate, criminal proceedings.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The budgets for entertainment in the Department for International Development in each of the last five financial years were as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 322,206 
			 2004-05 370,450 
			 2005-06 418,353 
			 2006-07 347,608 
			 2007-08 284,179

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: It is not possible to disaggregate specific entertainment costs without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of managing public money and the Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety.

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In the last 12 months, 101,930 items were sent by the Royal Mail. This equated to 55 per cent. of our total post. The Royal Mail is our primary means of sending external mail.

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997.

Michael Foster: Centrally managed expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals since 2004 is listed in the following table. These publications are increasingly taken in electronic rather than printed versions. Figures for earlier years could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Centrally managed expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals 
			   £ 
			 2004-05 135,887 
			 2005-06 142,015 
			 2006-07 88,290 
			 2007-08 112,203 
			 2008-09 (1)71,751.20 
			 (1) Spend to date

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Ivan Lewis: During the last five years, the Department for International Development (DFID) has been responsible for three non-departmental public bodies:
	Overseas Service Pensions Scheme (OSPS) Advisory Board was wound up on 1 October 2005;
	Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board was wound up on 1 April 2008;
	Commonwealth Scholarship Commission is still in operation.
	No appointments were made to executive positions in these bodies during the last five years since none of the non-departmental public bodies employed any staff.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not made any payments to (i) Deborah Mattinson or (ii) Opinion Leader Research Ltd since 31 December 2007, for polling or any other services.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to his Department was of travel by train by its staff in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's expenditure on rail travel for each year from 2003-04 is detailed in the following table. To provide information for years prior to this would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total rail expenditure  (£) 
			 2003-04 339,132 
			 2004-05 419,056 
			 2005-06 421,720 
			 2006-07 441,823 
			 2007-08 450,570

Departmental Scientists

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's budget for scientific advice and research is in 2008-09; for what purposes the equivalent budget for 2007-08 was used; and how many people employed in his Department have a science or engineering degree.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) budget for scientific advice and research in 2008-09 was £135.8 million.
	In 2007-08, the budget for scientific advice and research was £124.7 million. This was used to fund our priority research in human development (£50.8 million), growth and livelihoods (£42.7 million), and social, political and environmental change (£22.1 million) and £9 million was used to fund knowledge and communications programmes that ensured that the results of our research were disseminated and put into use.
	DFID has above 665 members of staff with science or engineering degrees. This has been defined as those holding a B.Eng, B.Sc, Bsc.Econ, B.Soc Sc, M.Eng, MSc, or any other degree (such as BA etc.) where the qualification subject refers to science or engineering. Many of these staff have more than one degree.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which family planning programmes his Department supports; how much funding is being provided to each in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided £20 million in core funding to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA has a global mandate to assist countries to deliver better sexual reproductive health and rights, including voluntary family planning services, and gender equality; and to better understand population dynamics including growth, ageing, fertility and mortality.
	DFID provided £5 million to support UNFPA's Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodity Security (GPRHCS) in 2008-09. The Global Programme will support up to 40 countries to access high quality and affordable essential drugs, contraceptives, and equipment for voluntary family planning services, HIV/STI prevention and maternal health services. The UK will be the largest donor to UNFPA's Global Programme with up to £100 million over five years.
	It is not possible to provide an exact figure of DFID's funding to family planning at country level. This is because DFID has a number of funding channels for country programmes including budgetary support for health systems, direct government budgetary support and multilateral funding which may have as a sub-component the provision of family planning commodities and services.

Family Planning: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments his Department has made to  (a) Marie Stopes International,  (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation,  (c) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service,  (d) the United Nations Population Fund and  (e) the Family Planning Association (UK) for (i) abortion, (ii) family planning and (iii) other reproductive health services in the last year; what the total of grants made to each organisation in that year was; how much he plans to give to each in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Details of DFID's 2008-09 spending are not yet available but will be published in our 2009 annual report in July. DFID contributions to the listed organisations in the 2007-08 financial year are as follows;
	Marie Stopes International (MSI) (funding for three projects): £220,000
	International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF): £9.55 million (£7.5 million core contribution and £2,050 Safe Abortion Action Fund)
	United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): £34.9 million (£20 million core contribution, £14.9 million in funding for projects at a country level)
	British Pregnancy Advisory Service: 0
	Family Planning Association: 0
	UNFPA has the global mandate to assist countries deliver better sexual and reproductive health and rights, including voluntary family planning services and gender equality, and to better understand population dynamics including growth, ageing, fertility and mortality. Comprehensive family planning includes the provision of reproductive health services and the provision of services to prevent unsafe abortion. It is therefore not possible to disaggregate these figures.
	DFID will provide £8.6 million per annum to IPPF over the next three years. DFID will also provide up to £89.5 million in un-earmarked core funding to UNFPA between 2008 and 2011. We will also provide £100 million between 2008-09 to 2012-13 to support UNFPA's Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodity Security (GPRHCS).
	It is not possible to provide similar figures for MSI. This is because DFID has a number of funding channels for country programmes including budgetary support for health systems, direct government budgetary support and multilateral funding which may have as a sub-component the provision of family planning commodities and services contracted to MSI.

Overseas Aid: Land Mines

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many countries have outstanding land mine clearance projects; and how much the Government have allocated to assist such projects  (a) directly and  (b) indirectly in 2009-10.

Ivan Lewis: Landmine Monitor estimate there are more than 70 states, as well as six areas not internationally recognised, that are mine affected as of August 2008. The UK Government have allocated around £10 million to directly assist land mine clearance programmes in at least 17 of these countries in 2009.
	The UK also provides funding to a number of multilateral organisations that work on land mine clearance, these include UNDP and the European Commission. However, we are unable to provide a figure for the total of this indirect support.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects will receive funding from the £30 million allocated by his Department for reconstruction work in Gaza.

Douglas Alexander: The objective of the Department for International Development's (DFID) support for the first phase of reconstruction, known as 'early recovery', is to help the most vulnerable people in Gaza rebuild their lives. We are currently assessing the best channels for such support. Options include assistance through the UN, the World Bank, the European Commission and non-governmental organisations. Our funding will help ensure delivery of basic services. As a first step, there is a need for large scale removal of rubble across Gaza. We have therefore allocated £443,000 to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to clear unexploded ordnance from these sites.
	A full breakdown of DFID's funding for Gaza can be found on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/gazafunding.asp

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expenditure has been incurred by the  (a) Department,  (b) agencies and  (c) non-departmental bodies in each year since 1997 on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; if he will list the surveys commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Gareth Thomas: (a) Details of DFID's expenditure on opinion polling and focus groups in each complete financial year since 1997 are outlined in the following table. (iii) DFID may have commissioned other forms of market research as part of its development programme, however these costs are not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to obtain them. Figures for 2008-09 are not yet available.
	
		
			   Focus groups  Cost (£)  Opinion polls  Cost (£) 
			 1997-98 OLR Baseline Study to explore existing attitudes to, and perceptions of Britain's international development programme 43,000 — — 
			 1998-99 — — — — 
			  
			 1999-2000 — — ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population to inform development education. 28,200 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 14,700 
			Readership survey of "Developments" magazine, in order to test its impact and reach. 1,804 
			  
			 2000-01 — — ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 33,000 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 14,629 
			  
			 2001-02 — — ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 34,300 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 11,515 
			  
			 2002-03 OLR focus group to analyse public understanding of international news stories. 38,427 ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 31,880 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 11,515 
			  
			 2003-04 OLR focus group research to explore ways of increasing understanding and support for international development in the UK. 50,309 ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 32,990 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 12,220 
			  
			 2004-05 — — ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 32,990 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 12,220 
			  
			 2005-06   ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 41,766 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 14,776 
			 2006-07 — — ONS poll to monitor the opinion of the UK adult population on international development used to inform, and monitor the impact of, our work on development awareness and education. 37,740 
			MORI poll to monitor the opinion of UK schoolchildren to inform and monitor impact of development education work. 18,971 
			  
			 2007-08 Solutions Strategy Research. Qualitative research aimed at getting public opinions on ethical shopping, and the benefits it can bring to developing countries to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications activity. 19,600 — — 
			 2007-08 — — Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB questions on omnibus survey to provide interim measure on concern about global poverty among UK adults to inform, direct, and provide a solid factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty. 5,940 
			 2007-08   Taylor Nelson Sofres annual attitudinal tracking survey into public perceptions of global poverty to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty. 47,500 
			 2007-08   ICM quantitative research survey to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform, and provide a factual basis for communications activity. 8,844 
			 2007-08 Creative Research. Qualitative stage of audience segmentation research to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications the work of DFID. 52,895.62 — — 
			 2007-08 — — Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB Quantitative research (questions on omnibus survey) to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries. 7,400 
			 2007-08   Ipsos Mori. Quantitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research, to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. 137,818 
			 2007-08   GfK NOP annual survey of young people's attitudes towards global poverty and development issues to inform, direct, and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. 23,745 
		
	
	 (b) DFID has no agencies
	 (c) DFID has one non-departmental public body, the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. The Commission has incurred no expenditure on opinion polling, focus groups or other forms of market research since 1997.

St Helena: Airports

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the proposed construction of an airport on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has received a number of letters from Members of Parliament and other interested parties about the proposal to construct an airport on St. Helena. On 9 February, the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster), met the Governor of St. Helena on the issue. He has also met with representatives from the bidding company, Impregilo SpA, on 10 February and from SHELCO (St. Helena Leisure Corporation Ltd) on 2 March.

Sudan: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received on the number of people displaced from Abyei in Sudan in May and December 2008 who have returned to their homes.

Ivan Lewis: Fighting in May 2008 displaced approximately 55,000 people from Abyei town and surrounding areas from a total population of some 100,000. Up to 10,000 people displaced by fighting in May returned to Abyei after the signing of the Road Map peace agreement in June 2008. However, the majority were later displaced again by fighting in December and the latest reports from the UN indicate that the population of Abyei and surrounding areas is now fewer than 50,000, not including nomadic populations. Of these, most are living in displaced camps in Agok. Ongoing security concerns and very weak basic civil administration are the main barriers to returns.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £3 million for water, sanitation, health care and basic household items for the displaced in Abyei through the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund. DFID is also providing some £6.2 million in support of the Abyei administration, police and education.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Women in the Church

Sally Keeble: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Second Church Estates Commissioner on the employment of women in the church.

Maria Eagle: I have had no discussions with the Second Church Estates Commissioner on this matter. Issues such as the roles of women in the Church of England are a matter for the Church itself.

Domestic Violence

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will commission research to examine whether there is a relationship between major sporting events and levels of domestic violence.

Maria Eagle: I am aware of the interesting research undertaken by Cardiff university's Professor Jonathan Shepherd indicating a link between large-scale sporting events, alcohol consumption and domestic violence. The Government have no plans to commission additional research at this time.
	I applaud the recent launch of the Wales tackles domestic abuse campaign to coincide with the Six Nations Championships. It echoes our message that violence against women and girls is unacceptable whatever the context and whatever the circumstances.

Equality Bill

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what provision she plans to make in the Equality Bill for the use of positive action to redress inequalities at work.

Maria Eagle: The Equality Bill will broaden the range of voluntary positive action measures which can be taken by employers or service providers to the full extent allowed by European law.
	For example, employers will, in some circumstances, be able to take under-representation or disadvantage into account when selecting for appointment or promotion between two or more equally suitable candidates, if they choose to do so.
	The new provisions will be backed by comprehensive and authoritative guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Economic Downturn

Anne Moffat: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what support the Government are giving to women affected by the economic downturn.

Maria Eagle: We are providing new training for women and men who have been out of work for six months. We are investing £15 million in skills development and support for women. We are funding 35,000 more apprentices. We are providing help with mortgages and extending the right to request flexible working from this April. The booklet Real Help Now for Women, published this week, signposts women towards a full range of support that they and their families may need in the economic downturn.

Domestic, Violence, Crime and Victims Act

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when the Government plan to bring into force section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Maria Eagle: Over the past 10 years we have transformed the way that the Criminal Justice System deals with domestic violence. Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 will extend the courts' powers under the criminal provisions of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 to enable them to impose restraining orders when sentencing for any offence or on acquittal. We are fully committed to implementation of section 12 in September 2009.

Gender Pay Gap

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government are taking to reduce the gender pay gap.

Maria Eagle: We want equal pay for women because women are of equal value. The forthcoming Equality Bill will include a number of measures to improve pay transparency. From April we are also extending the right to request flexible working to the parents of children up to 16, and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission is conducting a formal inquiry into the financial services sector, where the gender pay gap is 44.4 per cent.

Child Care Vouchers

Mary Creagh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government are taking to reduce the disincentive to provide childcare vouchers arising from employers' liability to pay for the cost of childcare vouchers in the last six months of maternity leave.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	No such steps are planned. The provision of childcare vouchers through the Employer Supported Childcare (ESC) scheme already offers significant rewards to employers. Employers offering ESC currently save £130 million in national insurance contributions each year, and an attractive package of benefits, of which childcare can be an important part, improves staff retention, ensures access to a wider recruitment pool, reduces absenteeism and leads to a more motivated workforce.

Consultants: Equality and Human Rights Commission

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on consultants in 2008-09; and what project each consultant was engaged to work on.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission expects to spend £420,000 on consultants in the 2008-09 financial year. The consultancy projects were focused on the Commission's organisational development and on ensuring EHRC had the necessary skills and means to deliver the Commission's new three year strategic plan. The plan itself is due to be published in April 2009.

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff of her Office were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate she has made of the (i) cost to her Office and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance has been issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Maria Eagle: 32 staff from the Government Equalities Office were absent due to non-medical reasons on 2 February 2009 and two staff were absent on 3 February 2009. Many were able to work from home once it was clear transport was disrupted, as access to departmental IT systems was unaffected. The total number of working hours lost was 245 and the cost for time lost is estimated at £5,060. For all absences the Department asks that staff notify their line manager by 10 am on the day of any change to their normal working pattern. When staff made contact they were asked to consider all transport options to enable them to attend the office but to take into account any personal safety issues.

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many and what percentage of letters sent by the Government Equalities Office were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office does not have any arrangements of its own for postal services. GEO's staff and Ministers work, or have worked in buildings belonging to other Departments and have used the post arrangements set up by those host Departments. Letters from the GEO in the last 12 months have been sent via the arrangements set up by: Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice, the Cabinet Office, the Attorney-General's Office, and the Department for Work and Pensions. GEO letters would be included within the totals for these other Departments and sent via the providers that they use.

Manpower: Equality and Human Rights Commission

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) employs; what the EHRC staff costs are expected to be for 2008-09; how many staff the  (a) Disability Rights Commission,  (b) Equal Opportunities Commission and  (c) Commission for Racial Equality employed in their last full year of existence; and what the staffing costs of each were in that year.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has 514 members of staff. Projected staff costs for 2008-09 are £23,603,000.
	The total number of staff employed by each of the legacy commissions in their last full year of existence for 2006-07, and the staffing costs of each in that year are set out as follows:
	The Commission for Racial Equality employed 247 members of staff. Total staffing costs were £9,559,000.
	The Equality Opportunities Commission employed 172 members of staff. Total staffing costs were £5,166,000.
	The Disability Rights Commission employed 209 members of staff. Total staffing costs were £8,338,000.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by the Government Equalities Office, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Maria Eagle: The Ministers of the Government Equalities Office, Harriet Harman and Maria Eagle, make regular use of cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency. The cubic capacity of the engine for Harriet Harman's car is 1497cc; the cubic capacity of the engine of Maria Eagle's car is 1339cc. The Government Equalities Office itself does not own, lease or hire cars.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Partners

Karen Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil partnership ceremonies have been conducted in each English local authority area.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request to ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil partnership ceremonies have been conducted in each English local authority. (261863)
	Statistics on the number of civil partnerships in the UK by area of formation for 2005 to 2007 are available online at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Civil_Partnerships_Area.xls
	Table 5 shows the numbers of civil partnerships by area of formation, year and sex. A copy of this table is attached. Statistics are available for the following types of area within England: Government Office Regions, counties, London boroughs, metropolitan districts and unitary authorities. A copy of the table is available in the Library of the House.
	The figures in Table 5 relate only to civil partnerships taking place in the constituent countries of the UK. They do not include civil partnerships of UK residents taking place abroad but will include non UK residents who form a partnership in the UK. Figures for England and Wales are based on date of formation. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are based on date of registration. Data are based on area of formation and not area of residence.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which ICT projects the Cabinet Office initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office initiated one major IT project that was cancelled prior to completion in the last six years. For information regarding this project I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. Liddell-Grainger) on 14 December 2005,  Official Report, columns 2057-58W, by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy).

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which external organisations the Cabinet Office has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in the Cabinet Office have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office does not arrange training for members of the civil service fast stream programme. Each Department is responsible for determining training and development arrangements for its own fast streamers. There is no central co-ordination or record of fast stream training civil service-wide.
	The Cabinet Office does however offer training for the fast streamers it employs directly. The Department currently employs 14 fast streamers. All these fast streamers have participated in training provided by external providers in the last three years. The majority of fast stream training is provided by the National School of Government. Other training providers are on an occasional basis, within Government procurement guidelines.

Departmental Vacancies

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications were received in response to Cabinet Office vacancy notice REC/08/169 for a front-of-house assistant.

Tom Watson: All Cabinet Office recruitment is carried out in line with the principle of fair and open competition on merit in line with the civil service commissioners' recruitment code.

Employment

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) men and  (b) women were in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employment in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women were in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employment in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.
	The requested information is shown in the attached table. This information is updated monthly as part of the Labour Market Statistics First Release and can be found on the Office for National Statistics website at the following address.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/OnlineProducts/LMS_FR_HS.asp
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  People aged 16 and over in employment by sex and working pattern( 1) . Three month rolling periods, November 2007-January 2008 to October-December 2008, United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			   People  Men  Women 
			  Period  Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time 
			 November to January 2008 21,946 7,508 14,119 1,798 7,827 5,710 
			 December to February 2008 21,996 7,498 14,141 1,789 7,855 5,709 
			 January to March 2008 22,003 7,497 14,158 1,790 7,845 5,707 
			 February to April 2008 22,009 7,497 14,164 1,795 7,846 5,701 
			 March to May 2008 22,062 7,479 14,178 1,775 7,884 5,704 
			 April to June 2008 22,013 7,492 14,132 1,805 7,881 5,687 
			 May to July 2008 22,002 7,490 14,101 1,820 7,901 5,670 
			 June to August 2008 21,910 7,509 14,029 1,838 7,881 5,671 
			 July to September 2008 21,908 7,499 14,029 1,834 7,879 5,666 
			 August to October 2008 21,880 7,497 13,983 1,845 7,897 5,652 
			 September to November 2008 21,821 7,572 13,993 1,846 7,828 5,726 
			 October to December 2008 21,829 7,532 13,969 1,860 7,860 5,672 
			 (1) Full-time and part-time employment is based on respondents' self-classification.  Note: It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc).  Source: Labour Force Survey

Government Departments: Trade Union Officials

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what  (a) guidance and  (b) advice the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Cabinet Secretary has provided to Government departments on the provision of departmental office space to trade unions for union representatives to use for union activities.

Tom Watson: No guidance or advice has been issued by the Cabinet Office to Departments.

Learning Disability: Expenditure

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of expenditure on learning disability services from the public purse was funded by central Government in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	It is not possible to say what proportion of expenditure was spent on learning disability services from the public purse funded by central Government in the last financial year. This is because Government expenditure on adult social care funding is part of a larger sum of money given by Government to councils and it is the responsibility of individual councils to determine how these funds are allocated between different local priorities, including adult social care.
	Council services are funded from three different sources:
	the formula grant distributed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to each council;
	the council's ability to raise revenue through council tax and making local means tested charges for services; and
	by specific grant allocation from the Department of Health and other Government Departments.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Costs

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the total cost of non-departmental public bodies was in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09 to date.

Tom Watson: Information on funding and expenditure of non-departmental public bodies for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is published in the Cabinet Office annual publication "Public Bodies". Copies of "Public Bodies" are available in the Libraries of the House and can be downloaded from:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
	Information for 2008-09 will be published in due course.

Stockley House: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant property recorded on the e-PIMS database at  (a) Stockley House and  (b) the Emergency Planning College is in 2008-09.

Kevin Brennan: The business rates associated with the vacant space at Stockley House and the Emergency Planning College in 2008-09 were £88,438 and £1,346 respectively.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which trade unions are recognised in the Cabinet Office.

Tom Watson: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1185W, to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie).

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Bed And Breakfast Accommodation

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children under 16 have been recorded as living in bed and breakfast accommodation in each of the last five years; and what steps are being taken to reduce the number of children in such accommodation.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1225W, which gives a national estimate of the number of children in bed and breakfast-style temporary accommodation under homelessness legislation as at the end of September 2008, and steps that are being taken to reduce that number. The September 2008 quarter was the first for which the response rate and quality of data reported at local authority level was sufficiently high to produce a national estimate, so national figures for previous years are not available.

Children: Databases

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the ContactPoint children's database  (a) is fully accredited to Government standards and  (b) has undergone a privacy impact assessment.

Beverley Hughes: In response to part  (a) of the question, ContactPoint is designed, built, operated and managed to HM Government standards for security and complies with the strict controls imposed by HM Government security policy. Data contained within the system are made available only to authorised users who have been subject to vetting and have completed mandatory training. Organisations that provide data or require access to ContactPoint must meet strict system accreditation requirements.
	We have developed an ongoing systematic engagement of children, young people and parents, both at national and local levels, throughout the development and implementation of ContactPoint to ensure that any concerns about privacy were addressed.
	We have sought to understand the views of children and young people, parents and carers, using a variety of methods, including:
	directly seeking the views of children and young people from a wide range of backgrounds, facilitated by independent specialists in this field;
	reviewing a wide body of independent research about the views of children and young people;
	understanding the experiences of local authority trailblazers who developed local 'pilot' systems and who consulted with children, young people, parents and carers; and
	engaging children, young people, parents and carers in a number of public consultations since 2003.
	The views of children, young people, parents and carers have played, and continue to play, an important role in the development and implementation of ContactPoint.
	This work has shown that, in general, children and young people understand the benefits of ContactPoint. Understandably, they want reassurance that the system will be secure and accurate; that practitioners will use their information appropriately and respect their privacy, and that access to ContactPoint will be limited to those who need it to do their job.
	We have developed materials to help inform children, young people, parents and carers them about ContactPoint. These materials take into account Fair Processing Notice obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998. These materials are being distributed through a range of channels, national and local, which include direct mailing to households (where practicable), at points of service and public areas (e.g., libraries), on websites and through the media.
	In addition, ContactPoint has been, and continues to be, subject to regular risk reviews, including the consideration of risks to privacy.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1058-62W, on children's day care, how many childcare settings have closed in each quarter in 2008-09.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the table.
	Due to changes in legislation as at 1 September 2008 new categories have been introduced for the collection of child care data and the current categories have ceased to exist. The latest Ofsted figures for a full quarter were published in June 2008. Ofsted are currently reviewing how these data will be published in the future.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of childcare providers that have opened and closed( 1)  position as at each quarter ,  England  2008 
			Childminders  Full  d ay  c are  Out  o f  s chool  d ay  c are( 2) 
			Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			 January-March 2008 Opened 2,200 3.3 550 3.9 450 4.2 
			  Closed 3,300 5.0 420 2.9 480 4.5 
			 April-June 2008 Opened 2,200 3.4 520 3.6 420 3.9 
			  Closed 2,500 3.9 370 2.6 420 3.9 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. (2) Out of school day care figures may not include services in extended schools as OFSTED data only include providers that have to register separately.  Source: Ofsted

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to  (a) Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and  (b) the Mayor of Doncaster on their responsibilities for child protection issues;
	(2)  what the responsibility is of the Mayor of Doncaster for child protection policy and practice in that area.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 January 2009
	It is the local authority as a whole that is legally responsible for the discharge of its statutory functions, regardless of the arrangements by which the authority decides to discharge those functions and, in particular, whether the authority is led by a directly elected Mayor. While the elected Mayor is politically accountable—alongside the Lead Member for Children's Services—for the way in which the authority discharges its statutory functions for child protection, he or she is not legally responsible for the discharge of those functions.
	Doncaster metropolitan borough council has been issued with the same guidance as all organisations and individuals with responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This is contained principally within 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2006):
	http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/AE53C8F9D7AEB1B23E403514A6C1B17D.pdf
	In addition, local authorities that are children's services authorities, including Doncaster, have a duty under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Specific guidance for these organisations about their duty under section 11 is contained in 'Making Arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children' (2005):
	http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/IG00042/

Children: Social Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 802W, on children: local services, what methodology was used to allocate the funds between local authorities.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities' grant allocations have been calculated by applying the children's social care relative needs formula, details of which can be found at the following website:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0809/methkid.pdf

Children's Centres: Standards

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children's centres' nurseries were deemed  (a) excellent,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) inadequate by Ofsted in each year since Ofsted was established.

Beverley Hughes: These are matters for Ofsted. The Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and copies of her replies have been placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert ,  dated 9 February 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	As you will be aware, Ofsted was established in 1992, but the first children's centres were only designated from June 2003, with many developing from Sure Start Local Programmes and Early Excellence Centres. The services offered by Children's Centres varies but may include integrated early education and childcare. This means that a Children's Centre may include a provision registered by Ofsted (day care and childcare on non-domestic premises) or a maintained school which will be inspected by Ofsted. However, we do not identify if childcare providers or schools are part of a Children's Centre on our databases.
	The figures below should be treated with some care. To produce these we have cross-referenced the postcodes of Sure Start Children's Centres, according to the DCSF Sure Start database (which is updated by local authorities), with those of the childcare providers and nursery schools on our records. This matching is unlikely to be fully accurate. A Sure Start Children's Centre may have the same post code as a childcare setting while not being the same establishment.
	The following tables A and B show the number and proportion of registered childcare providers with a postcode match to a Sure Start Children's Centre receiving each overall quality grade following an Ofsted inspection from 1 April 2003 to 31 August 2008. Table C shows the number and proportion of registered childcare providers with a postcode match to a Sure Start Children's Centre receiving each overall quality grade following an Ofsted inspection from 1 September 2008 (when the early years foundation stage was introduced) to 31 December 2008, which are the latest data available on childcare inspections. Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2005, the early years inspection framework was based on the Children Act 1989, and used a three-point scale, ranging from good to unsatisfactory. Between 1 April 2005 and 31 August 2008, the inspection framework (commonly known as the Inspecting Outcomes for Children framework) used a four-point scale, ranging from outstanding to inadequate. The early years foundation stage inspection framework, introduced on 1 September 2008, uses a similar four-point scale.
	The following tables D and E show the number and proportion of nursery schools receiving each overall effectiveness grade following an Ofsted inspection from 1 September 2003 to the 31 August 2008, which are the latest data available on school inspection outcomes. Under the previous school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 10), this judgment was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. Since September 2005, the judgment has been made under the current school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 5) using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate.
	It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach between frameworks, so simple comparisons are not possible. Inspectors do not make reference to, or comparisons with, different inspection frameworks. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgments about childcare and schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance.
	Please note that that the selection of provision for inspection each year is not random. We select providers for inspection each year based on a number of factors, including the period since their last inspection and the grade awarded them at that inspection. Therefore, these figures should not be used to make judgments about the standards of national provision.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to right hon. Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and to right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Judgments on the overall quality grades from inspections of registered childcare that have a  postcode match with identified sure start c entres, between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2005 
			   Good  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  
			  Time Period  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total number of providers 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 17 68 8 32 0 0 25 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 214 72 81 27 3 1 298 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Judgments on the overall quality grades from inspections of registered childcare that have a postcode match with identified sure start centres, between 1 April 2005 and 31 August 2008 
			   Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total number of providers 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 12 3 209 56 127 34 24 6 372 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 23 3 452 60 249 33 25 3 749 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 August 2008 51 4 821 63 383 29 46 4 1,301 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Judgments on the overall quality grades from inspections of registered childcare that have a postcode match with identified sure start centres, between 1 September 2008 and 31 December 2008 
			   Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  
			  Time period  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total number of providers 
			 1 September 2008 to 31 December 2008 8 6 75 60 37 29 6 5 126 
		
	
	
		
			  Table D: Judgments on the overall effectiveness grades from inspections of nursery schools that have a postcode match with identified sure start centres, between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2005 
			  Time  p eriod  Number of nursery schools  Inspection outcome 
			 1 September 2003 to 31 August 2004 1 Excellent 
			  1 Good 
			 1 September 2004 to 31 August 2005 1 Excellent 
			  1 Very Good 
			  1 Good 
		
	
	
		
			  Table E: Judgments on the overall effectiveness grades from inspections of nursery schools that have a postcode match with identified sure start centres, between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2008 
			   Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  
			  Time period  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total number of providers 
			 1 September 2005 to 31 December 2006(1) 8 33 15 63 1 4 0 0 24 
			 1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007 24 41 30 51 5 8 0 0 59 
			 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 21 38 34 61 1 2 0 0 56 
			 (1) Includes two inspections carried out in the 2004-05 academic year as pilots for the inspection framework introduced in September 2005.

Departmental Internet

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people were involved in the determination of the content of each myplace application.

Beverley Hughes: All "myplace" projects have demonstrated that young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, have been and will be active participants in the design, development and management of the new facility.
	The Big Lottery Fund reports that it would be a disproportionate cost to provide specific information about how many young people were involved in consultations on each of "myplace" projects; the dates the consultations took place; and how many young people are directly involved in the management of each of the projects.
	The Big Lottery Fund is able to report that "myplace" projects have engaged thousands of young people across the country through a variety of methods including local Youth Parliaments, councils or neighbourhood forums; through open consultation events, surveys and focus groups; and through their attendance at existing projects.
	"myplace" projects have also demonstrated that young people will continue to influence directly the ongoing management of the new facility. Proposed approaches include the use of youth forums, young people sitting directly on management committees, establishing shadow youth boards, appointing a young person as the project's assistant director, and passing the governance of the whole project over to young people through the creation of a youth-led trust.

English Language: Primary Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of children entering primary school for whom English will be a second or other language in each of the next five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Such estimates are not available.
	The latest information about the number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English were published as table B10 in a statistical first release at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml

Family Planning: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what grants his Department made to  (a) Brook,  (b) the Family Planning Association,  (c) Marie Stopes International,  (d) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and  (e) Education for Choice in the last year; how much in grant funding is planned for each in the next two years; what the (i) monetary value and (ii) purpose of each such grant is; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: No funding has been allocated to Marie Stopes International, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, or Education for Choice by this Department in the 2008/09 financial year.
	Funding was allocated to Brook, and FPA in 2008/09 from the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy budget, as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Organisation  Purpose  Amount of funding (£000) 
			 Brook To develop guidance for local authorities and PCTs on the delivery of condom distribution schemes, and to produce posters to alert young people to the peak in unplanned pregnancies that occurs each year in December and January 50 
			
			 FPA To pilot a version of the 'Speakeasy' programme for both parents and young people (the main Speakeasy programme is aimed at parents only), and run a speakeasy 'taster' session for parents working in DCSF 26 
			 Total  76 
		
	
	Final decisions on the allocation of the teenage pregnancy budget for 2009/10 and 2010/11 have not yet been finalised.
	In addition, third sector organisations were invited to submit bids for funding from the Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) Grant programme. Following an open competition, funding was allocated to:
	Education for Choice (£75,000 over two years): to provide training to members of the children's work force, to enable them to provide impartial advice and support to young people facing an unplanned pregnancy, including support to avoid repeat conceptions; and
	FPA (£530,000 over two years): to extend delivery of the 'Speakeasy' programme that builds the skills and confidence of parents so that they are better able to talk to their children about sex and relationships.

Improving Information Sharing and Management Programme

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the expenditure on the Improving Information Sharing and Management programme  (a) has been since its inception and  (b) is projected to be over the next five years.

Beverley Hughes: The Improving Information Sharing and Management (IISaM) Programme was established in January 2008, bringing together, ContactPoint, E-CAF (the online version of the Common Assessment Framework), the Integrated Children's System (ICS) and the Client Case Information System (CCIS). Since its inception, expenditure on the IISAM Programme to 31 March 2009, is forecast to be £131.5 million.
	Expenditure on the IISaM Programme over the next five years, to 2013-14, is projected to be £334.2 million.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 657W, on pre-school education: teaching, which programmes are funded by the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant; how much has been spent on the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant in each year for which records are available; and how much is forecast to be spent in each financial year up to the end of the 2010-11 financial year.

Beverley Hughes: The Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant funding is not provided for specific programmes for the training of childcare staff but is provided in ring-fenced blocks to allow local authorities to respond to their local priorities.
	Funding to improve the quality of practice and the capability of the workforce in early years settings is provided to Local Authorities within the outcomes, quality and inclusion strand of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant.
	The funding allocated for outcomes quality and inclusion for the CSR period April 2008 to March 2011 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Outcomes, quality and inclusion allocation (£) 
			 2008/09 127,155,784 
			 2009/10 147,235,934 
			 2010/11 164,148,541 
			 Total 438,540,259 
		
	
	While the outcomes, quality and inclusion categorisation of funding was introduced in April 2008 the Department has records of local authority spend under the broadly analogous category of workforce development from April 2004, as shown in the following table(1).
	(1) Not all audits have been received from the local authorities for 2007/08 and 2006/07. For those programmes with outstanding audits spend figures have been taken from unaudited returns. Where these are unavailable an average spend rate has been applied to their allocation to produce a likely spend. In 2005/06 seven local authorities were in local area agreements, 26 in 2006/07 and 24 in 2007/08. No spend for these authorities is available as they were not required to submit statements of spend to the Department.
	
		
			   Workforce development spend (£) 
			 2007/08 63,700,942 
			 2006/07 54,527,678 
			 2005/06 73,782,315 
			 2004/05 46,480,478

Schools: Standards

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of small schools Ofsted judged to be  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) satisfactory and  (d) inadequate in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 2 March 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) defines a small primary school as one with 100 pupils or fewer, while a small secondary school has 600 pupils or fewer, and these definitions are used in this response. Data identifying the total number of pupils on a school's roll in each academic year are derived from the DCSF Annual School Census. Schools for which the number of pupils on roll is not available have been excluded from this analysis.
	Ofsted introduced a judgement of schools' overall effectiveness in January 2000, and this response covers data since that point. Under the school inspection frameworks used between January 2000 and August 2005 (commonly known as Section 10), the school's overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. Since September 2005, the overall effectiveness judgement has been made under the current school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 5) using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. Tables A to D show the percentages of schools by grade for each academic year since January 2000.
	It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from a seven- to a four-point scale. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgements about schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance, which are available on the Ofsted website at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofstedhome/Formsand~guidance/Browsealiby/Other/General/Guidance-for-inspectors-of-schools-conducting-the-inspection/(language)/eng-GB
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A—Overall effectiveness in primary schools with 1-100 pupils inspected between January 2000 and 2004 / 05 
			Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			   Number of inspections  Excellent  Very good  Good  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  Poor  Very poor 
			 January to August 2000 338 0 19 49 23 8 1 0 
			 2000-01 425 1 18 47 29 3 1 0 
			 2001-02 454 1 18 46 29 5 1 0 
			 2002-03 423 1 17 49 26 6 1 0 
			 2003-04 458 1 13 52 28 5 1 0 
			 2004-05 332 1 16 47 30 5 1 0 
			  Note: Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B — Overall effectiveness in primary schools with 1-100 pupils inspected i n each academic year since 2005/ 06 
			Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			   Number of inspections  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate 
			 2005-06 629 6 55 35 4 
			 2006-07 909 10 53 34 2 
			 2007-08 845 10 59 29 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C—Overall effectiveness in secondary schools with 1-600 pupils inspected in each academic year between January 2000 and 2004 / 05 
			Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			   Number of inspections  Excellent  Very good  Good  Satisfactory  Unsatisfactory  Poor  Very poor 
			 January to August 2000 61 0 16 57 21 3 2 0 
			 2000-01 124 0 7 57 30 5 1 0 
			 200-02 91 0 11 34 41 13 1 0 
			 2002-03 98 0 14 55 22 5 3 0 
			 2003-04 105 0 13 53 22 10 2 0 
			 2004-05 70 0 7 53 30 9 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table D—Overall effectiveness in secondary schools with 1-600 pupils inspected in each academic year since 2005 / 06 
			Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected 
			   Number of school inspections  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate 
			 2005-06 157 3 39 45 13 
			 2006-07 212 9 33 45 13 
			 2007-08 180 8 39 42 10 
			  Note: Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100

Youth Services: Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many myplace projects his Department has funded in  (a) cities and  (b) coalfield communities.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 March 2009
	To date, myplace funding of £240 million has been awarded to 62 projects. A total number of 31 projects worth £122.4 million are in cities and three projects worth £13.1 million are in coalfield areas.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many additional full-time equivalent places he has made available in further education colleges for post-19 adult education and training in each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) grant letter 2009-10 (18 November 2009) set out planned investment in adults and associated learner numbers for 2008/09 and 2009/10.
	Investment through the LSC is expected to support around 3.4 million adult learners in 2008/09 and 3.3 million learners in 2009/10 across all funding routes. These are not expressed as full-time equivalents as this method of calculating the volume of learning is not applicable for all funding routes.
	We are committed to ensuring that public investment supports adults to gain skills necessary to enter and progress into sustainable employment and further learning. This strategy has seen record numbers of learners participate and achieve qualifications that provide these skills. Reprioritisation of funding towards these priorities and away from high numbers of shorter courses will affect the total number of LSC-funded adult learners.
	Learner number figures are based on national assumptions of what our investment could deliver in each of the funding routes. The volume and level of courses delivered will follow demand. It is therefore not possible to say how many of these places will be delivered in further education colleges over these years.
	Planned budgets for 2010-11 with associated learner numbers will be confirmed towards the end of the year in the normal way. Budgets for 2011-12 and beyond will be agreed as part of the next spending review.

Apprentices

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) private and  (b) local authority-sponsored apprenticeships have started in (i) England and (ii) each English region in each year since 2005; and how many of each are projected to start in (A) England and (B) each English region in 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows the percentage of LSC-funded apprenticeship starts in England in 2005/06 to 2007/08 at each type of provider. It is not possible to specify exactly the number of apprenticeships with a private provider. Numbers in many categories are too small to provide regional level analysis.
	Projections on apprenticeship volumes are available at national level only and are not available by provider type.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of apprenticeship starts in an academic year by provider type, 2005/06 to 2007/08 
			  Percentage 
			  Provider type  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Chamber of Commerce/Trade 1.3 1.1 0.7 
			 Charitable 4.8 4.6 7.2 
			 City Technology College
			 External Institution 0.1 0.2  
			 General FE College incl Tertiary 22.1 23.3 21.5 
			 Higher Education Organisation 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Independent school or college
			 Local Authority 0.5 0.4 0.1 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 1.4 1.4 1.5 
			 Non-Charitable
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 62.2 59.5 55.3 
			 Other Local Authority 0.3 0.1 0.3 
			 Other Private Organisation 3.2 5.1 6.0 
			 Other Public Organisation 2.3 2.8 6.0 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation
			 Sixth form college 0.2 0.2 0.1 
			 Special collegeAgriculture and horticulture 1.3 1.1 1.0 
			 Special collegeArt, design and performing arts
			 Unknown
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			 
			 Total number of apprenticeship starts 175,000 184,400 224,800 
			 '' indicates a figure of 0 per cent. when rounded.  Notes: 1. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent.  Source: WBL ILR

Apprentices

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what support is available for apprentices whose employer terminates their contract before they have completed their apprenticeship.

Si�n Simon: I am pleased apprenticeship completion rates are improving. In 2007/08 we saw 64 per cent. of apprentices successfully completing their apprenticeship up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05, and since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08.
	We have established a matching service to help those apprentices in the construction sector at risk of redundancy to find alternative employment and to complete their apprenticeship. We are currently working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to explore how this approach might be extended to other sectors. More generally, providers and the LSC have procedures to advise and relocate apprentices in cases where providers or employers fail, to help ensure that they are able to continue in work and complete their apprenticeship. Where alternative work is not available local advice agencies working with training providers and colleges will help find other training opportunities. Such arrangements are being used, for example, to help former Woolworth apprentices complete their apprenticeship framework and find alternative employment or training.
	The 140 million package announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in January for an additional 35,000 apprenticeship places will help fund new provision in both the public and private sectors, and will extend the opportunities available to people facing redundancy. This package will further boost the number of people starting an apprenticeship.

Apprentices: Construction

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people started apprenticeships in the construction industry in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 2 March 2009
	Table 1 following shows the number of apprenticeship starts in construction in 2007/08. There were 21,000 apprenticeship starts in construction frameworks in 2007/08, up from 15,200 in 2003/04, a 38 per cent. increase.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in construction, 2007/08 
			  Sector framework  Number of starts 
			 Construction 20,400 
			 Engineering Construction 600 
			 Total 21,000 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100, and may not add up to the total. 2. Frameworks included in construction are: 107Engineering Construction 116Construction  Source: WBL ILR 2007/08 
		
	
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

Departmental Public Consultation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many public consultations his Department has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Si�n Simon: In 2008 the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills conducted 13 consultations. On average each consultation was open for 12.5 weeks with an average of 583 responses received per consultation. The costs of conducting each consultation vary depending on the consultation route taken. It is not possible to provide the cost of conducting each one as this would incur disproportionate public expense.

Education: Finance

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans has he to make additional funding available to further education colleges and universities for the re-skilling of individuals who hold a level three or level four qualification.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 9 March 2009
	Alongside existing programmes and training provision, we have announced new measures to provide employment-focused training for people facing or at risk of redundancy, as well as those who have been out of work for a longer period of time. This includes: a package of 158 million to support 40,000 new employment-focussed training places for those at risk of redundancy; 83 million to support 75,000 extra further education places for the long-term unemployed; and 140 million to support 35,000 additional apprenticeship places. The amount of funding that will be available to further education colleges for this training will depend on demand and skills needs of individuals rather than being linked to prior attainment.
	Within our existing entitlements, learners who already have a qualification at level 3 or level 4 may be able to access repeat qualifications, however the learner or their employer may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost of the course. Funding for repeat qualifications may be available through the Adult Learner Responsive or Employer Responsive route. In particular, Sector Compacts enable more flexible use of Train to Gain funding for retraining in subjects deemed a priority for a specific sectors.
	In late January 2009, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) announced their Economic Challenge Investment Fund, a 50 million fund (25 million from HEFCE matched with 25 million from individual higher education institutions) to provide help for individuals and businesses during these difficult times. This will help universities and colleges to provide tailored training, development and professional support to vulnerable groups, including those who want to re-skill in strategically important and vulnerable subjects.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: DIUS does not own any vacant property and therefore does not expect to pay any empty property business rates in April 2008 to March 2009.

Train to Gain Programme: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the Pre-Budget Report 2008, whether the extension of the Train to Gain scheme will be funded from an existing spending programme.

Si�n Simon: The 2009-10 grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sets out the budget for Train to Gain. Train to Gain is a growing programme. This will result in a planned budget increase for Train to Gain programme from 657 million in 2008-09 to 925 million in 2009-10, which will support around 949,000 learners. The Government Investment Strategy 2009-10, published last November, set out the planned aggregate growth in the LSC's budget and also the priorities set within that.
	The 350 million pre-Budget report announcement is the growth over the next two years and will be focussed on small and medium-sized enterprises to help them get the training that they need.
	Train to Gain is the key service for supporting employers to invest in the future productivity and profitability of their businesses by investing in the skills of their employees. Train to Gain offers quality-assured, impartial advice from skills brokers, to help identify the business's skills needs at all levels and make the right, informed choices.

Unemployment: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of young people in each  (a) town,  (b) ward and  (c) lower layer super output area of the principal seaside towns in England are not in education, employment or training.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 Details of young people not in employment, education or training are not available for small geographical regions such as principal seaside towns, wards and lower layer super output areas. The smallest geographical area for which these numbers are available is by local education authority.
	Tables 1 and 2 show estimates of the numbers and percentages of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) for local education authorities (LEAs) in England. These are the most recent estimates are from the Annual Population Survey (APS); data for 2008 are not yet available. The tables have been placed in the House Libraries.
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand as sample sizes for each local education authority are small and will be affected by sampling variability. This will also affect the comparability of data for each year, as most of the differences in figures for different years are statistically insignificant.
	(1) Age used is the respondent's academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many learner places funded by the Learning and Skills Council there were in each  (a) local authority area and  (b) subject area in each year since 2003-04.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 4 March 2009
	For the number of learner places funded by the Learning and Skills Council in each subject area, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 464W.
	Tables 1-4 show the number of learner enrolments/starts by local authority which were funded by the Learning and Skills Council, from 2004/05 to 2007/08 academic year. Data cannot be provided on a comparable basis for 2003/04.
	Between 2004/05 and 2007/08, there was a significant shift in the types of further education courses that attracted public funding. Realignment of funding towards longer courses offering adults the greatest opportunity to gain the skills to enter and progress in sustained employment has necessarily led to a decrease in the overall number of LSC funded learners over this period.
	However, it cannot be assumed that these courses and learners no longer existwhere a course no longer attracts public funding, we expect colleges and providers to continue to offer those courses, at full cost, in response to demand.
	A copy of these tables has been provided and the relevant data will be placed in the Libraries.

Vocational Training: Luton

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 789W, on employment-related skills, how much of the funding allocated to improve the employment-related skills of people with low skills he expects to be spent in Luton.

Si�n Simon: The recently announced funding to support employment-focused training for people facing or at risk of redundancy, as well as those who have been out of work for a longer period of time, will be spent in line with demand and skills needs. It is therefore not possible to say how much funding will be spent in a given geographical area at this point in time.

TRANSPORT

Concessionary Bus Fares Scheme

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost to local authorities to date of providing the national concessionary bus fares scheme.

Paul Clark: Additional funding of 212 million has been provided to local authorities this year to cover the extra cost of the new concession. It is estimated that this will bring the total spending on concessionary fares to approximately 1 billion this year. The Government are confident that there is sufficient funding in total for statutory concessionary fares.

Concessionary Bus Fares Scheme

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of reimbursement rates to local authorities for their expenditure under the national concessionary bus fares scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Government provide funding to local authorities to allow them to reimburse bus operators for concessionary travel. This funding now totals around 1 billion per annum and the Government are confident that there is sufficient funding in total for statutory concessionary fares. The rates set by local authorities for reimbursing bus operators are a matter for them.

Local Transport Plans

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend his Department's criteria for the allocation of capital expenditure under local transport plans to provide for greater devolution of responsibilities to local government.

Paul Clark: Most Department for Transport capital funding to local authorities is distributed through formulae developed with local government. It is not ring-fenced. The remaining funding is generally for specific major schemes. Regional bodies and local authorities can now advise Ministers on changing the allocation of all this funding within the region.

Motorway Widening Scheme

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which sections of the M4 and M5 in the Bristol area he plans to include in the hard shoulder motorway widening scheme.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We plan to implement hard shoulder running on the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 and on the M5 between junctions 15 and 17. The scheme will address congestion and unreliable journey times on this important section of the motorway network near Bristol.

Active Traffic Management Systems

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend the use of active traffic management systems across the country; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: On 15 January 2009 we announced our plans for the Highways Agency's national roads programme in Britain's Transport Infrastructure Motorways and Major Trunk Roads. This included over 520 lanes miles of additional capacity, of which, over 340 lane miles would be delivered by hard shoulder running. We also set out our strategy to apply managed motorways more widely across the core national motorway network over the next 10 to 15 years.

Railway Ticket Offices

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on changes to ticket office opening times at railway stations.

Paul Clark: Officials in the Department for Transport have recently discussed ticket office change proposals made by South West Trains, First Capital Connect, National Express East Anglia and National Express East Coast. Some of these are small changes and some just outline proposals.

Rail Franchises

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with train operating companies on the commercial viability of their franchises in the current economic situation.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has regular discussions with train operating companies as part of the normal monitoring arrangements under our franchise agreements. This includes monitoring of the financial and operational performance of individual franchises.

Rail Network Capacity

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of the rail network.

Paul Clark: The Rail White Paper, which we published in July 2007, described the forecast growth in rail usage and sets out the enhancements in capacity, reliability and safety the Government seek. At the heart of our plans is the 10 billion that we have committed to spend on enhancing rail capacity between 2009 and 2014.

Young Drivers: Fatalities

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of drivers under 25 years old who die in road accidents.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We identified young drivers as a key priority in the Road Safety Strategy review, published in 2007. While 17 per cent. fewer car drivers were killed in 2007 than in 2006 we are not complacent. We want new drivers to have the right attitude and skills to be safe drivers. On 7 May 2008, the Driving Standards Agency launched Learning to Drive consultation, which set out proposals for the reform of driver education, training and testing. The reforms will better prepare newly qualified drivers modern driving conditions.
	Almost 7,000 consultation responses were received. These are being carefully analysed, and decisions will be announced as soon as possible.

East Midlands Line

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a decision on the proposed electrification of the East Midlands Line.

Paul Clark: A decision on electrification of the Midland Main Line north of Bedford will be announced later this year.

National Forest Line

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the restoration of passenger services on the National Forest Line between Burton-on-Trent and Leicester; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport receives many representations about re-opening railway lines across the country but since 1 January 2008, only one has solely focused on the re-opening of the National Forest Line.

Driving Instructors

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place to ensure that registered sex offenders may not operate as driving instructors.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All approved driving instructors (ADIs) must satisfy the registrar that they are 'fit and proper' to have their name initially entered in the register and must continue to meet that requirement in order to remain registered. To evidence this they must provide enhanced level criminal record checks.

Hand Baggage: Airlines

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of easing the restriction on the volume of liquids permissible in air passengers' hand baggage; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We are working with international partners to develop technological solutions that enable a lifting of restrictions and current indications are that some technology could be available for deployment at EU airports in 2010. In the meantime the present restrictions must remain in place in order to address the real and serious threat from liquid explosives.

A15: Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last death occurred in a road traffic accident on the A15 between Lincoln and the M180; and how many deaths have occurred on this road in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of fatalities resulting from reported personal injury road accidents on the A15 between Lincoln and the M180 for each of the last five years are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of fatalities 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
		
	
	The last fatal accident occurred in June 2005. Data for 2008 will be available at the end of June 2009.

Aviation: South East

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of maximum airspace capacity over London and the South East is currently used; and what contingency plans he has to  (a) ration and  (b) otherwise allocate airspace if demand should exceed supply.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 9 March 2009
	Although airspace has a finite volume, available airspace capacity is not a constantit varies according to the declared capacity of air traffic control units and airspace sectors as a function of time.
	The central flow management unit (CFMU) at Eurocontrol, the European organisation for the safety of air navigation:
	http://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/cfmu/public/subsitehomepage/homepage.html
	provides an air traffic flow and capacity management service on behalf of air traffic services and airport operators across Europe before traffic is handled operationally by air traffic control. The CFMU has access to a database containing flight plan information on every aircraft that is planning to fly in European airspace and uses this information to meet its objectives of balancing demand and capacity, keeping delays to a minimum and avoiding congestion, bottlenecks and overload.
	Consequently, airspace capacity management in the UK is an operational matter for the air traffic control provider, NATS. The following link to the NATS website provides an overview on traffic volumes handled by NATS from their various centres and flights handled at major UK airports:
	http://www.nats.co.uk/text/47/operational and safety.html

Cycling: East Midlands

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycle lanes have been introduced in each county in the East Midlands since 2001.

Paul Clark: This information is no longer collected centrally by the Department for Transport as part of our drive to reduce the burden upon local authorities in respect of the information we request annually from them.
	However we do hold some historical information which is produced in the following table. The data are not verified by the Department.
	
		
			  Cycle lanes 2001-07 
			Kilometres 
			  Highway authority  GO region  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Derby City GO-EM 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Derbyshire (sole) GO-EM 1 9 1 0   
			 Leicester City GO-EM  1 2 2 4  
			 Leicestershire (Central) GO-EM 15 4 6 7 1  
			 Leicestershire (County) GO-EM 19 14 3 2 7 5 
			 Lincolnshire GO-EM 11 8 4 1 9 3 
			 Northamptonshire GO-EM 0 1 0 1 1 0 
			 Nottingham City (part of joint) GO-EM 5 14 14 0 5 8 
			 Nottinghamshire (Greater Notts part of joint) GO-EM 0 0 1 2 2 0 
			 Nottinghamshire (North Notts) GO-EM 2 0 1 12 1 4 
			 Rutland GO-EM 5 0 0

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the flexible benefits project in the central units of his Department.

Geoff Hoon: It is estimated that there will be no material cost of introducing a flexible benefits scheme to the Department for Transport.

Departmental Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees of his Department have worked at First Class Partnership in each of the last 24 months; and what the Civil Service pay band of each is.

Geoff Hoon: No Department for Transport employees have been loaned or seconded to First Capital Partnership nor does the Department have any record of employees leaving to join First Class Partnerships in the last 24 months.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport does not have an entertainment budget. However, it does have divisional level hospitality budgets that cover refreshments for meetings, conferences, room bookings and other similar expenditure. To identify these lists centrally would be disproportionately expensive.
	The Department adheres to the principles on the management of Public Money as set out in HM Treasury's handbook on Regularity and Propriety and has strict rules and cost limits on such expenditure. Where it is permissible, expenditure that could be classed as entertainment must be found from within the hospitality budgets.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: No payments have been made by the Department to Deborah Mattinson or Opinion Leader Research Limited between 31 December 2007 and 3 March 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capital expenditure his Department plans to bring forward in the next 12 months.

Geoff Hoon: In November 2008 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced, as part of his pre-Budget report, that 700 million of fiscal stimulus funding was being brought forward by the Department for Transport.
	400 million of this will be used by the Highways Agency in 2009-10 to bring forward high value schemes on the strategic roads network. This includes bringing forward by two years the start of construction for the scheme to dual the A46 from Newark to Widmerpool.
	In addition the funding will allow us to bring forward work to strengthen hard shoulders in advance of the implementation of hard shoulder running as well as other high value structure and asset renewal projects. The exact schemes that will benefit will be specified in the Highways Agency's 2009-10 Business Plan.
	The remaining 300 million is to be used for the procurement of diesel unit rolling stock as part of the Department's High Level Output Specification for the British Rail Network.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by his Department on staff surveys in 2008; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Geoff Hoon: The Department spent 35,805 on its annual staff survey in 2008. ORC were contracted to carry out the survey.

Driving Standards Agency: Alcoholic Drinks

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 900W, on the Driving Standards Agency: alcoholic drinks, what the cost to his Department was of the wine served at each of the three conferences.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driving Standards Agency spent the following on wine for each conference.
	
		
			  Conference  Cost of alcohol provided exclusive of VAT () 
			 May Conference 2,068.30 
			 June Conference 1 1,894.97 
			 June Conference 2 2,111.54

Driving Tests

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people  (a) took and  (b) passed their driving test in (i) Chelmsford, (ii) Essex and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Chelmsford in each of the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:
	
		
			  Chelmsford 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			  Car
			 2007-08 8,162 2,851 34.9 
			 2006-07 8,906 2,911 32.7 
			 2005-06 9,990 3,385 33.9 
			 2004-05 7,430 2,653 35.7 
			 2003-04 7,206 2,731 37.9 
			 
			  Bike
			 2007-08 1,519 1,091 71.8 
			 2006-07 1,271 883 69.5 
			 2005-06 1,285 906 70.5 
			 2004-05 1,290 902 69.9 
			 2003-04 1,183 860 72.7 
			 
			  Lorry
			 2007-08 803 289 36.0 
			 2006-07 1,543 571 37.0 
			 2005-06 1,835 661 36.0 
			 2004-05 1,255 446 35.5 
			 2003-04 1,031 437 42.4 
			 
			  Bus
			 2007-08 87 30 34.5 
			 2006-07 179 73 40.8 
			 2005-06 178 56 31.5 
			 2004-05 136 35 25.7 
			 2003-04 90 26 28.9 
		
	
	The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Essex in each of the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:
	
		
			  Essex 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			  Car
			 2007-08 87,532 31,310 35.8 
			 2006-07 88,325 31,196 35.3 
			 2005-06 93,457 32,607 34.9 
			 2004-05 75,359 25,614 34.0 
			 2003-04 60,780 21,816 35.9 
			 
			  Bike
			 2007-08 4,723 3,048 64.5 
			 2006-07 4,236 2,575 60.8 
			 2005-06 4,423 2,731 61.7 
			 2004-05 4,370 2,772 63.4 
			 2003-04 4,719 2,989 63.3 
			 
			  Lorry
			 2007-08 3,093 1,072 34.7 
			 2006-07 4,261 1,448 34.0 
			 2005-06 5,213 1,794 34.4 
			 2004-05 4,101 1,373 33.5 
			 2003-04 3,191 1,268 39.7 
			 
			  Bus
			 2007-08 295 100 33.9 
			 2006-07 385 130 33.8 
			 2005-06 555 138 24.9 
			 2004-05 538 110 20.4 
			 2003-04 237 75 31.6 
		
	
	The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for conducting driving tests within Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle Agency is responsible for driving tests conducted within Northern Ireland. The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Great Britain over the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:
	
		
			  Overall 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			  Car
			 2007-08 1,769,860 783,632 44.3 
			 2006-07 1,789,885 776,329 43.4 
			 2005-06 1,827,381 777,817 42.6 
			 2004-05 1,670,302 707,018 42.3 
			 2003-04 1,399,385 598,347 42.8 
			 
			  Bike
			 2007-08 87,962 58,520 66.5 
			 2006-07 77,007 50,112 65.1 
			 2005-06 80,162 51,051 63.7 
			 2004-05 77,897 50,063 64.3 
			 2003-04 83,451 53,789 64.5 
			 
			  Lorry
			 2007-08 70,766 32,779 46.3 
			 2006-07 78,140 36,119 46.2 
			 2005-06 88,815 40,247 45.3 
			 2004-05 79,431 36,935 46.5 
			 2003-04 66,832 32,598 48.8 
			 
			  Bus
			 2007-08 10,331 5,203 50.4 
			 2006-07 9,922 4,602 46.4 
			 2005-06 11,698 5,210 44.5 
			 2004-05 12,251 5,369 43.8 
			 2003-04 10,083 4,591 45.5 
		
	
	The number of practical car driving tests conducted in Northern Ireland are shown in the following table. Data for other categories are unavailable.
	
		
			  Overall 
			   Conducted  Passed  Percentage pass 
			 2007-08 61,298 27,584 45 
			 2006-07 61,173 28,751 47 
			 2005-06 57,264 28,059 49 
			 2004-05 41,547 19,942 48 
			 2003-04 47,022 22,100 47

Railway Stations: Opening Hours

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 496W, on railway stations: opening hours, what criteria the ticketing and settlement agreements with  (a) South West Trains and  (b) First Capital Connect contain in respect of the minimum hourly number of (i) visits and (ii) ticket purchases required for a ticket office to remain open.

Paul Clark: The arrangements for through ticketing and rail retailing are specified in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA). Each train operator's passenger licence requires them to be a party to, and comply with the TSA. Franchise agreements also require operators to comply with the TSA. The TSA does not vary by train operator.
	The criteria within the TSA for changing ticket office opening hours do not specify either a minimum number of visits or ticket purchases which must be made.

Railways: Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the process of producing a Sussex Route Utilisation Strategy secures a substantive revision of the timetable with a view to eliminating problems and shortening timetabled rail journey times.

Paul Clark: holding answer 9 March 2009
	Network Rail is in the course of developing a route utilisation strategy (RUS) for Sussex, in conjunction with, and on behalf of, rail industry partners and wider stakeholders. Editorial control of each RUS lies with a Stakeholder Management Group and it would be inappropriate for Government to seek to interfere in the workings of such a group.

Road Traffic: Urban Areas

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change in congestion levels was recorded by each of the urban areas to receive the Urban Congestion Performance Fund payment announced on 23 February 2009.

Paul Clark: The following table contains the percentage change in average person journey time per mile in each urban area from the baseline (a combination of 2004-05 and 2005-06 data) and 2007-08:
	
		
			  Urban area  Percentage change 
			 London -5.1 
			 Greater Manchester -1.6 
			 Merseyside -2.2 
			 South Yorkshire -5.2 
			 Tyne and Wear -5.7 
			 West Midlands 0.0 
			 West Yorkshire 1.4 
			 Bristol -5.4 
			 Leicester -0.1 
			 Nottingham 0.0 
			 10 urban areas -3.0 
		
	
	The full table is available in Road Traffic and Congestion in Great Britain; Quarter 4 2008, available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pqr/statistics/datatablespublications/roadstraffic/traffic/qbtrafficgb/2008/q408

Roads: Accidents

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents have been recorded involving hit and run drivers in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A table showing the number of accidents involving hit and run drivers in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area in each year since 1997 has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Compensation

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid in compensation by  (a) the Highways Agency and  (b) local highways authorities for claims relating to vehicles damaged as a result of poor road maintenance in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency paid compensation as follows (calendar years):
	
		
			
			 2006 5,513 
			 2007 3,466 
			 2008 8,113 
		
	
	Information relating to claims against local authorities is not collected centrally.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport recognises the following trade unions: Public and Commercial Services, FDA and Prospect. In view of the nature of their work, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Government Car and Despatch Agency also recognise Unite (formerly T and G Workers Union).

Transport: Snow and Ice

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to build increased resilience into key national transport networks for circumstances where temperatures drop below freezing.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 9 February 2009
	The owners and operators of the key national transport networks have a wide range of plans in place to ensure resilience in the event of adverse weather conditions, including snow and freezing temperatures.
	As a result, in the case of the recent severe weather, the Highways Agency was able to minimise disruption to the strategic road network (motorways and major trunk roads in England) which the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for, while also providing emergency road salt supplies to a number of local authorities (who are responsible for around 95 per cent. of roads in England).
	Network Rail is responsible for the rail network and makes all reasonable preparations for exceptional weather in the winter. They along with train operating companies take responsibility for ensuring stations are maintained during these periods.
	Additionally, the major transport sectors will be undertaking reviews of their performance during the recent severe winter weather, to ensure appropriate lessons are learned to support the continuous improvement to winter services.

HEALTH

Abortion: Drugs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which abortifacient drugs are licensed for use in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when his Department last undertook a review of clinical evidence on the use of  (a) mifepristone and  (b) the morning-after pill that drew on (i) UK and (ii) international research; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In the United Kingdom Mifegyne (mifepristone or RU486) is licensed for the termination of pregnancy (abortion). This product licence was granted following advice from the then Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) that was based on a review of all the available evidence for safety, efficacy and quality.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in consultation with the wider Department, has reviewed the use of emergency hormonal contraception on a number of occasions: in 2001, when Levonelle-2 was made available for sale in pharmacies as Levonelle; in 2003, when the dosing regimen was changed from taking two tablets 12 hours apart to taking them at the same time; and in relation to this, when the strength of the pill was doubled in 2004 so that only one tablet need be taken. Advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines (now the Commission on Human Medicines) was sought on all occasions.
	In 2005 the safety of mifepristone was reviewed within the UK and Europe in response to the reporting of very rare cases of fatal toxic shock following infection, reported from the United States of America, in association with the use of mifepristone and misoprostol for medical abortion. The Food and Drugs Administration concluded that no causal relationship could be established and that serious bacterial infections may occur with all types of abortion, whether spontaneous, surgical or medical. Similar cases of fatalities had not been observed in the UK or Europe. No new safety concerns were identified and no action considered necessary. We are also aware that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists reviewed the clinical use of mifepristone in order to update their September 2004 guideline on 'The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion'. This guideline recommends pre-abortion management for all types of abortion which includes infection screening and prophylaxis.
	The MHRA most recently reviewed the use of mifepristone in 2007. This review examined effectiveness and safety data relating to the use of mifepristone in combination with a prostaglandin for the termination of pregnancy up to nine weeks gestation and the balance of benefits and risks was found to be favourable. A comparison of medical versus surgical abortion found significantly more suspected pelvic infections and surgical complications, including uterine perforation that required laparoscopy, after surgical abortion. Furthermore, no significant difference in the success rates after medical abortion was observed compared with surgical abortion.
	As with all licensed medicines, the safety of mifepristone and emergency hormonal contraception will continue to be monitored by the MHRA.

Antidepressants

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulatory changes he has made to prevent a recurrence of the time taken by manufacturers to inform the regulator of the harmful effects of prescribed selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on patients.

Dawn Primarolo: A number of legislative changes have been made to strengthen and clarify the legal obligations of marketing authorisation holders. There is now an EU Directive governing the conduct of clinical trials which came into force in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2004. This introduced a criminal offence for the failure to report adverse reactions occurring in clinical trials.
	Changes were also introduced to European Union medicines legislation from October 2005 which clarify the obligation to report relevant safety information arising from clinical trials using products outside their normal conditions of use. These were implemented in the UK from 30 October 2005 and include an obligation to provide specified information promptly.
	UK legislation was amended in December 2008 to specify prompt reporting requirements for clinical trials, including those conducted outside the European economic area and outside the terms of any marketing authorisation valid in the UK.
	European legislative proposals published in December 2008 further clarify the legal obligations on marketing authorisation holders to report harmful effects and to do so promptly.

Assertive Outreach Teams

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assertive outreach teams there were in  (a) England,  (b) the South West,  (c) Devon and  (d) East Devon in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The total number of assertive outreach (AO) teams in England from September 2000 to March 2008 is provided in the following table.
	We do not hold data requested for the South West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) or the Devon and East Devon areas centrally. However, what data the Department holds about AO teams in the South West and the Devon Partnership Trust are also represented in the table.
	
		
			  Mental Health Services: Assertive outreach teams in England, South West SHA and in Devon Partnership Trust from the year 2000 to present 
			   Assertive outreach teams 
			   England  South West  Devon Partnership Trust 
			 September 2000 130 n/a n/a 
			 September 2001 180 n/a n/a 
			 September 2002 197 (1) 1 
			 September 2003 251 (1) 7 
			 September 2004 255 (1) 4 
			 March 2005 262 (1) 4 
			 January 2006 252 29 4 
			 March 2007 251 27 4 
			 March 2008 249 28 4 
			 n/a = Data not available (1) Data are in old SHA format, data not comparable  Source: Durham mapping 2000 to 2006 From March 2006: Mental Health Strategies

Cardiovascular System: Ethnic Groups

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to increase accessibility to the vascular risk assessment and management programme for those from South Asian communities;
	(2)  if he will review the eligibility age range for the vascular risk assessment and management programme for those of South Asian origin at risk of type 2 diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The vascular checks programme to which my hon. Friend refers offers a real opportunity to make significant inroads in tackling health inequalities, including these relating to ethnicity. The checks themselves are suitable for delivery in a number of settings including general practice, but are equally suitable for pharmacy and other community settings, to help improve access to the checks by those who are less likely to see their general practitioner.
	The approach taken by the programme, which primary care trusts (PCTs) are being asked to start rolling out in 2009-10, is based on economic modelling undertaken by the Department to help ensure the most clinically effective and cost effective format. This is the service PCTs will have additional funding for from April 2009. All PCTs will wish to consider how to achieve the best coverage in terms of access and take up for their population, including commissioning the most effective provision for those communities at higher risk of vascular disease, such as South Asians.

Childbirth

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) encephaly and  (b) spina bifida following (i) live births and (ii) elective terminations were diagnosed in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many cases of (a) encephaly and (b) spina bifida following (i) live births and (ii) elective terminations were diagnosed in each year since 2001. (261734)
	The table attached provides the number of cases of (a) anencephalus and (b) spina bifida, (i) reported to the National Congenital Anomaly System following live births, and (ii), the number of abortion notifications under Ground E of the Abortion Act 1967 associated with each of these congenital anomalies, from 2001 to 2007 (the latest year available). A termination may be carried out under Ground E where there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
	It is not possible to say how many of these abortion notifications were elective terminations.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of cases of anencephalus( 1)  and spina bifida( 2)  following live births and the number of abortion notifications( 3 ) associated with each of these conditions, England and Wales, 2001-07( 4) 
			   Anencephalus  Spina Bifida 
			   Live Births  Abortion Notifications  Live Births  Abortion Notifications 
			 2001 12 148 47 127 
			 2002 13 137 60 98 
			 2003 17 * 57 * 
			 2004 12 145 58 90 
			 2005 13 139 47 121 
			 2006 8 166 42 106 
			 2007 14 144 34 117 
			 (1) Anencephalus is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), code Q00. (2 )Spina Bifida is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), code Q05. (3) Abortion notifications are on Ground E 'there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical of mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped'. An asterisk (*) denotes that figures are not available for this year. (4) Figures are for notifications in each calendar year.

Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the 150 million he has allocated to fund implementation of the Dementia Strategy will be observed between each of the Strategy's 17 objectives;
	(2)  from which budget the 150 million he has allocated to fund implementation of the Dementia Strategy will be taken; and by what mechanism it will be allocated to the NHS;
	(3)  how the 150 million he has allocated to fund implementation of the Dementia Strategy will be allocated to  (a) resource and  (b) capital expenditure in each year of the Strategy.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 639-40W.

Dementia: Research

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much research funding has been allocated to studies linked to dementia in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available; and how much is to be allocated in each financial year to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 640-41W.

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's library service is responsible for central purchasing of newspapers, magazines and periodicals for library use and for retention by individual units.
	Total expenditure for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 is:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 380,025 
			 2005-06 395,148 
			 2006-07 350,930 
			 2007-08 317,386 
			 2008-09 (1)302,440 
			 (1) Estimate of final out-turn

Diabetes: Ethnic Groups

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of black and minority ethnic people in Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust area who have been diagnosed with diabetes;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the percentage of black and minority ethnic people in Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust who  (a) were offered and  (b) attended annual retinal screening appointments in the 12 months up to 30 September 2008.

Ann Keen: The information is not collected centrally.

Diabetes: Ethnic Groups

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary care trusts provide people with diabetes from black and minority ethnic communities annual retinal screening.

Ann Keen: All eligible people with diabetes should be offered screening for diabetic retinopathy regardless of ethnicity.
	The English National Screening Programme for Sight Threatening Retinopathy (NSP) has been established to support local delivery of diabetic retinopathy screening. The NSP is managing a number of initiatives to improve equality of access to screening. These include:
	asking specific questions about equality as part of its external quality assurance process;
	recommending health equity audits are carried out by each screening programme so that no particular group is disadvantaged; and
	developing national patient information leafletsthese have undergone extensive consultation with patient groups and translation of leaflets into easy to read versions in a variety of languages have been commissioned and are being developed.
	The delivery of this programme is a priority for the national health service and has been included in the last two sets of planning guidance for the NHS and retained in the planning guidance for 2009-10.

Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there were of  (a) mumps, ( b) whooping cough,  (c) typhoid,  (d) scarlet fever,  (e) cholera,  (f) diphtheria,  (g) leprosy,  (h) botulism,  (i) listeria,  (j) tuberculosis,  (k) polio and  (l) typhus in each strategic health authority in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The available information has been placed in the Library.

European Commission

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions other than meetings of the EU Council of Ministers, Ministers from his Department expect to meet the European Commissioner for Health over the next six months.

Dawn Primarolo: There are currently no plans to hold a meeting, in the coming six months, between Health Ministers and the European Commissioner for Health, other than at the EU Council of Ministers. Such a meeting can be arranged as the need arises. The United Kingdom will however continue to engage regularly with the Commission and other EU member states at official level in the Health Council Working Group.

Gynaecology

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS funding was provided for  (a) research into and  (b) treatment of premature ovarian failure in (i) Gloucestershire and (ii) England in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department funds national health service research and development through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Institute's research programmes support high quality research of relevance and in areas of high priority to patients and the NHS. None of this research is at present concerned specifically with premature ovarian failure.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the other main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body that receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	The MRC is currently funding four research projects of relevance to premature ovarian failure on which 1.1 million was spent in 2007-08. It also supports a large portfolio of reproductive tract research and underpinning reproductive medicine research.
	Details of NHS expenditure on the treatment of women with premature ovarian failure are not centrally available.

Health Services: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to increase the  (a) number and  (b) skills level of public health workers as proposed in A High Quality Workforce: NHS Next Stage Review.

Ann Keen: In order to ensure that the actions we are setting in train to deliver the numbers and skills required in the public health workforce are aligned and coherent with our system policies, we have commissioned an internal review. This will examine the effectiveness of existing policies and initiatives in place across the Department and will provide an informed assessment of the capacity requirements and skills gaps of the public health delivery system.
	The team supporting this review is now in place and has commenced work, engaging across the Department and with key external stakeholders. The timetable they are working to will result in the publication of findings late in the year, to inform planning cycles for the public health delivery systems.

Health Services: Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the multi-professional education and training budget for each strategic health authority was in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the multi professional education and training budget has been collected only on a comparable basis since 2003-04 financial year. The sums allocated to each strategic health authority (SHA) are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Multi professional education and training allocations by SHA 
			  000 
			  SHA  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			 Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 113,482 127,133 139,580 156,2692 193,746 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 57,996 63,336 69,070 73,443 110,577 
			 Birmingham and Black Country 167,514 185,641 198,876 204,396 218,231 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 150,099 162,744 177,121 180,582 265,261 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 47,893 50,617 57,511 59,672 85,053 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 77,749 84,449 92,100 93,466 95,539 
			 Dorset and Somerset 42,669 43,496 46,971 47,563 48,872 
			 Essex 56,531 61,288 66,711 73,457 75,628 
			 Greater Manchester 178,562 194,776 215,247 225,463 243,027 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 99,195 109,131 124,828 132,287 163,312 
			 Kent and Medway 54,109 57,175 66,956 72,193 104,841 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 91,782 105,272 114,178 106,057 109,259 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 117,875 125,830 134,598 144,190 148,546 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 61,938 67,455 73,222 77,873 84,319 
			 North Central London 180,279 195,814 206,788 219,256 310,398 
			 North East London 154,995 166,379 174,578 175,442 188,926 
			 North West London 178,124 185,787 194,520 193,140 198,858 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 120,135 127,178 139,313 139,854 152,152 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 56,070 61,271 66,973 66,452 67,910 
			 South East London 171,660 183,425 192,122 190,038 215,140 
			 South West London 103,603 113,947 121,130 120,426 122,455 
			 South West Peninsula 68,109 76,543 95,418 104,361 109,597 
			 South Yorkshire 158,715 102,238 185,604 (2)227,673 123,571 
			 Surrey and Sussex 99,261 105,173 123,470 129,263 138,954 
			 Thames Valley 105,118 112,869 120,849 124,495 128,469 
			 Trent 129,588 145,290 163,835 170,475 214,173 
			 West Midlands South 56,826 59,497 64,774 80,062 140,076 
			 West Yorkshire 145,675 152,167 171,983 178,503 245,349 
			 Total 3,045,552 3,225,921 3,598,326 3,766,349 4,302,237 
			 (1) The 449 million student bursary budget was only allocated in 2007-08 to the 10 new SHAs rather than the 28 former SHAs following NHS reorganisation.  (2) AGW allocation excludes 8,800,000 for Skills for Health budget.  (3) S Yorkshire allocation excludes 32,100,000 for Electronic Staff Record project.   Note:  1. Allocations are not directly comparable due to the composition of the budget in each year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Multi professional education and training allocations by SHA, 2008-09 
			  SHA  Allocation (000) 
			 East Midlands 373,821 
			 East of England 353,430 
			 London 1,064,986 
			 North East 247,104 
			 North West 661,633 
			 South Central 301,342 
			 South East Coast 248,384 
			 South West 370,781 
			 West Midlands 452,192 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 475,297 
			 Total 4,548,969

Hospital Wards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 874-75W, on hospital wards: gender, from which budget funding for the improvement teams will come.

Ann Keen: The budget for the improvement teams relating to elimination of mixed sex accommodation is provided from the Department's central budgets.

Hospitals: Admissions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) children and  (b) adults have been admitted to hospital for injuries sustained as a result of (i) assault by a blunt object, (ii) assault by a sharp object and (iii) gun shots where the incident occurred at a school in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information which has been provided includes a breakdown for children aged 15 and under, 16 to 17 and those aged 18 and over. It is not possible using the hospital episode statistics dataset to determine whether incidents have occurred in schools.
	The data provided include all activity in national health service hospitals England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by the English NHS.
	Reference should be made to the notes and clinical codes when interpreting the data.
	
		
			  Total number of admissions to hospital for injuries sustained by a gunshot wound, assault by a sharp or blunt object, broken down by age group for years 1996-972006-07 
			   15 and under  16 and 17  18 and over  Other  Total 
			  Assault by blunt objects 
			 1996-97 165 172 2,503 56 2,896 
			 1997-98 137 149 2,424 44 2,754 
			 1998-99 105 132 2,172 6 2,415 
			 1999-2000 120 128 2,364 5 2,617 
			 2000-01 126 99 2,223 5 2,453 
			 2001-02 139 136 2,342 11 2,628 
			 2002-03 152 144 2,450 5 2,751 
			 2003-04 139 147 2,683 2 2,971 
			 2004-05 159 166 2,755 3 3,083 
			 2005-06 224 175 2,944 2 3,345 
			 2006-07 150 209 3,181 1 3,541 
			   
			  Assault by sharp objects 
			 1996-97 114 247 3,529 52 3,942 
			 1997-98 112 239 3,466 58 3,875 
			 1998-99 88 191 3,370 18 3,667 
			 1999-2000 118 248 3,738 21 4,125 
			 2000-01 130 264 3,842 13 4,249 
			 2001-02 132 283 4,198 29 4,642 
			 2002-03 95 237 3,937 6 4,275 
			 2003-04 110 296 4,358 10 4,774 
			 2004-05 143 300 4,627 2 5,072 
			 2005-06 169 374 4,949 4 5,496 
			 2006-07 179 441 5,097 3 5,720 
			   
			  Gun shot wounds 
			 1996-97 333 134 606 11 1,084 
			 1997-98 260 112 613 9 994 
			 1998-99 279 102 604 2 987 
			 1999-2000 362 133 674 1 1,170 
			 2000-01 287 140 693 2 1,122 
			 2001-02 321 147 949 3 1,420 
			 2002-03 253 163 870 1 1,287 
			 2003-04 267 123 978 2 1,370 
			 2004-05 199 108 855 1 1,163 
			 2005-06 155 117 960 1 1,233 
			 2006-07 181 145 988 1 1,315 
			  Notes:  Assignment of Episodes to Years: Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay  Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Cause CodeBlunt object, Sharp object and Gunshot Wounds: The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. HES has used the following ICD-10 external cause codes when referring to gunshot wounds and assault by sharp and blunt objects.  Blunt Object: Y00Assault by blunt object  Sharp Object: X99Assault by sharp object  Gunshot wound: W32.Handgun discharge W33.Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge W34.Discharge from other and unspecified firearms X72.Intentional self-harm by handgun discharge X73.Intentional self-harm by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X74.Intentional self-harm by other and unspecified firearm discharge X93.Assault by handgun discharge X94.Assault by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge X95.Assault by other and unspecified firearm discharge Y22.Handgun discharge, undetermined intent Y23.Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y24.Other and unspecified firearm discharge, undetermined intent Y35.0 Legal intervention involving firearm discharge Y36.4 War operations involving firearm discharge and other forms of conventional warfare  Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS information centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Ungrossed Data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS information centre for health and social care.

Hospitals: Children

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged  (a) under 10 years and  (b) 10 years and over were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of (i) non-alcoholic fatty liver and (ii) diabetes in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: The following table gives the number of finished admission episodes where children aged 0 to 18, were admitted to hospital in each year since 1997-98 with a diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or diabetes.
	Number of finished admission episodes where primary diagnosis was non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or diabetes mellitus for children aged under 10-years and 10-18 years, years 1997-98 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Activity in NHS Hospitals and NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector in England 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Fatty (change of) liver, not elsewhere classified
			 Under 10 years 2 1 2 2 3 2 7 2 6 7 8 
			 10-18 years 3 4 9 8 11 19 18 18 17 15 15 
			  Diabetes
			 Under 10 years 1,847 2,020 2,183 2,093 2,125 2,216 2,225 2,277 2,279 2,254 2,082 
			 10-18 years 3,929 4,202 4,672 4,843 5,080 5,369 5,692 5,827 6,288 6,397 6,656 
			  Notes:  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.  Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, ie the data are ungrossed.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Hospitals: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mortalities there were in each hospital in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: I have asked the Authority to reply. The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many mortalities there were in each hospital in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last five years. (261480)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths occurring in each hospital or multifunction site in (a) Hampshire county, (b) Portsmouth unitary authority and (c) Southampton unitary authority, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available). Together, these areas formed the old Hampshire county prior to local government reorganisation in 1997.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths occurring in each hospital in Hampshire county, Portsmouth unitary authority and Southampton unitary authority, 2003-07( 1,2,3) 
			  Area  NHS/non-NHS  Hospital  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Hampshire NHS Allan Gardiner Unit Memorial Hospital 6 11 4 7 2 
			   Alton Community Hospital 52 37 31 35 52 
			   Andover War Memorial Hospital 51 52 25 14 24 
			   Countess Mountbatten House Moorgreen Hospital 341 297 294 322 328 
			   Fenwick Cottage Hospital 12 18 3 0 0 
			   Fleet Community Hospital 17 3 8 6 6 
			   Fordingbridge Hospital, 37 43 36 29 11 
			   Gosport War Memorial Hospital 85 82 82 94 52 
			   Havant War Memorial Hospital 40 28 34 29 30 
			   Hythe Hospital 30 16 11 9 11 
			   Lymington Hospital 157 154 198 198 7 
			   Moorgreen Hospital 98 118 72 25 21 
			   Odiham Cottage Hospital 21 16 18 13 15 
			   Petersfield Hospital 82 67 45 69 54 
			   Romsey Hospital 35 28 33 28 31 
			   Royal Hampshire County Hospital 956 972 903 868 922 
			   St. Christopher's Hospital 44 16 0 0 0 
			   The Infirmary 7 0 0 0 0 
			   The Lymington New Forest Hospital 0 0 0 0 186 
			   The Mount Hospital 12 10 0 0 0 
			   The North Hampshire Hospital 774 785 788 697 693 
			   Victoria Cottage Hospital 26 21 16 0 0 
			   War Memorial Hospital 21 13 10 12 6 
			  Non-NHS BUPA 5 4 0 2 2 
			   Hampshire Clinic 14 8 3 6 7 
			   Royal Hospital Haslar 5 3 2 1 8 
			   St. Georges Nursing Home 17 25 19 0 0 
			   Wessex Nuffield Hospital 0 1 0 1 1 
			 
			 Portsmouth NHS Queen Alexandra Hospital 2,407 2,089 1,951 1,900 1,748 
			  Non-NHS St. Marys Hospital 499 660 744 705 759 
			 
			 Southampton NHS General Hospital 2,241 2,192 2,241 2,128 2,034 
			   Royal South Hants Hospital 62 25 16 37 40 
			   Western Community Hospital 41 60 48 31 11 
			  Non-NHS Spire Hospital 7 3 2 10 9 
			 (1 )Based on boundaries as of 2009. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (3) Where no deaths are reported for a hospital over a period of years, this is indicative of an establishment changing use, closing down or opening during the period 2003-07.

Human Papilloma Virus: Children

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls aged between 12 and 13 years have been vaccinated against human papilloma virus in  (a) the UK and  (b) Bolton.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department collects data for England on the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme.
	Provisional data at the end of January 2009 for HPV vaccine uptake in England show that:
	a total of 256,531 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first dose; this represents 83.3 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group; and
	a total of 227,156 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first and second doses; this represents 73.3 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group.
	Provisional data at the end of January 2009 for HPV vaccine uptake in the area covered by Bolton primary care trust (PCT) show that:
	a total of 1,627 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first dose; this represents 90.1 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in Bolton PCT; and
	a total of 1,445 12 to 13-year-old girls have received the first and second doses; this represents 80.0 per cent. of the total number of girls in this age group in schools in Bolton PCT.
	The HPV vaccination is a three-dose schedule and the current cohorts of 12 to 13-year-old girls will be offered their third dose later this year.

Learning Disability

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the implications of likely future trends in the number of adults with a learning disability in England for levels of funding for services for such people during the next Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will hold meetings with representatives of the learning disability sector on levels of funding for services for people with a learning disability during the next Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Phil Hope: Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) have yet to announce the timing of the next spending review and make available the associated guidance. We will have discussions with HMT in due course, as part of that process. The meetings the Department are engaged in with the Learning Disability Coalition help inform the data and evidence we need to make the best possible case for adequate funding for all adults with social care needs, including those with a learning disability.

Learning Disability

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated on likely changes in the numbers of people with a learning disability during the next three years.

Phil Hope: By the end of spring 2009, the Department will be disseminating a report by Professor Eric Emerson (February 2009) from the Centre for Disability Research, Lancaster university, 'Estimating Future Numbers of Adults with Profound Multiple Learning Disabilities in England'. It is envisaged that this information will help local services to better estimate the numbers of adults with profound multiple disabilities and therefore provide support where it is required. Departmental officials are also in discussion with the Learning Disability Coalition on options about possible research on the prevalence of learning disabilities.

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: In line with our commitment to valuing diversity and ensuring that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people are treated with respect as both service users and employees within health and social care, the Department has formally recognised LGBT History Month since 2005. This has included the following expenditure:
	
		
			
			 2005 2,158 
			 2006 (1)2,000 
			 2007 2,000 
			 2008 9,171 
			 2009 2,572 
			 (1) Approximately

Local Public Health Laboratories

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 877W, on local public health laboratories, which department had responsibility for the Public Health Laboratory Service between 1999 and 2003; and where the information relating to local public health laboratories during that period is held.

Dawn Primarolo: The Public Health Laboratory Service was a non-departmental public body of the Department of Health, under the NHS Act 1977. Its Annual Reports and Accounts, which included information about the local public health laboratories which it managed, were laid before Parliament.

Mental Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of the 35 improving access to psychological therapy sites have complied with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on computerised cognitive behavioural therapy; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many treatments of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved cognitive behavioural therapy programmes  (a) Beating the Blues and  (b) FearFighter have been provided by the 35 improving access to psychological therapy sites; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent progress has been made on establishing a national contract for the purchase of treatments for depression under the Beating the Blues programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the average cost to the NHS of treating an individual for depression and anxiety was in the latest period for which information is available; what estimate his Department has made of the effect on those costs of nationwide implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on computerised psychological therapies; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The core aim of the Department's improving access to psychological therapies programme is to support the national health service to implement the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines and deliver effective treatment for people with depression and anxiety disorders. Compliance with clinical guidelines published by NICE forms part of the developmental standards for the NHS and NHS organisations are expected to move towards their full implementation. The Department recognises the important contribution of the effective provision of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and primary care trusts (PCTs) are obliged to provide funding for NICE-recommended cCBT packages where clinicians want to use them, however, the Department does not collect information on the uptake of cCBT.
	Information is not held centrally about how many treatments of Beating the Blues or FearFighter have been provided by PCTs.
	The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency have provided procurement advice to the NHS. However, the Department is not in a position to ring-fence funds specifically for cCBT, including Beating the Blues, as decisions about local services are made by local commissioners based on local needs assessments.
	Information is not held centrally on the cost to the NHS of treating an individual for depression and anxiety so no comparison can be made as to the impact of the nationwide implementation of NICE guidance on cCBT.

Mental Health Services

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost of complying with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on computerised cognitive behavioural therapy, broken down by  (a) primary care trust and  (b) strategic health authority.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the tariff uplift breakdown for 2009-10 published by his Department on 5 February 2009, when he intends to develop a tariff for mental health services.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 24 February 2008,  Official Report, column 660W.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which independent sector treatment centres have contracts due for renewal in the next  (a) six and  (b) 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The following Independent Sector Treatment Centres have contracts currently due for expiry in the next six and 12 months:
	 Six months (to 30 September 2009):
	Ophthalmic Chain (OC123); and
	Magnetic Resonance Imaging
	 12 months (to 31 March 2010):
	Bradford;
	Kidderminster;
	Plymouth;
	East Cornwall;
	East Lincolnshire;
	North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire;
	Northumberland, Tyne and Wear;
	Southampton;
	Thames Valley Milton Keynes;
	Thames Valley Reading; and
	West Lincolnshire.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent sector treatment centre projects are under contract in  (a) phase 1 and  (b) phase 2.

Ben Bradshaw: The following Independent Sector Treatment Centre projects are under contract in Wave 1 and Phase 2:
	 Wave 1
	LP2 Bradford
	LP3 Burton
	LP4 Barlborough
	LP7 Shepton Mallet
	LP8 Manchester
	LP9 Plymouth
	GC4 East Cornwall
	GC4 East Lincolnshire
	GC4 North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
	GC4 North Oxford
	GC4 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
	GC4 Southampton
	GC4 Thames Valley Milton Keynes
	GC4 Thames Valley Reading
	GC4 West Lincolnshire
	GC5E Nottingham
	GC5WKidderminster
	GC5WCheshire  Merseyside
	GC6 Maidstone
	GC7 North East London
	GC8 Wycombe
	GC8 Portsmouth
	GC8 Medway
	GC8 Brighton
	GC8 Havant Ophthalmic Chain
	 Phase 2
	D01 London
	D8N Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography North
	D8S Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography South
	E01 Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
	E05 Cumbria and Lancashire
	E06 Cheshire and Merseyside
	E08 Greater Manchester Clinical Assessment Treatment and Support
	E09 Hampshire and Isle of While
	E15 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
	E16 Renal

NHS: Alcohol Cleaners

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS hospitals have removed alcohol-based hand cleaning solutions in order to prevent people from drinking them; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will instruct NHS trusts to ensure that alcohol-based hand cleaning solutions remain available at NHS hospitals.

Ann Keen: The national patient safety agency patient safety alert 'Clean Hands Save Lives' issued in September 2008 (which has been placed in the Library) provides guidance for the national health service, and explains the benefit of using alcohol handrubs at the point of care. It states:
	'There are a number of risks to patients and staff associated with the use of alcohol handrub, however the benefits in terms of its use far outweigh the risks. A risk assessment should be undertaken and a management plan put in place. This particularly applies to clinical areas managing patients with alcohol use disorder and patients at risk of deliberate self harm.'
	Removing alcohol handrub from areas of hospitals is a decision for local determination, according to local risk, and the Department does not keep information on the decisions of individual hospitals centrally.
	As the patient safety alert makes clear, what is important is that staff are able to undertake hand hygiene at the point of care, if necessary using soap and water.

NHS: Apprentices

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for NHS apprenticeships was in each year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The Department has not allocated a specific budget for national health service apprenticeships. NHS organisations use their existing sources of income to cover any training and employment costs. Organisations in all sectors of the economy can access external sources of funding for apprenticeships, including funding from the Learning and Skills Council, but no data are held centrally on the external funding sources. The funding arrangements for future years are under review.

NHS: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what commercial revenues have been earned by the NHS outside England in each of the last three years; and how they were earned.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not centrally collect data on commercial revenues earned by the national health service outside England.

NHS: Legal Proceedings

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many legal proceedings have been brought against NHS organisations by private individuals on the basis that public consultations have been improperly conducted in the last five years.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect such information, and there is no requirement on national health service bodies to inform the Department when legal proceedings are brought against them.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost is of establishing the Centre of Excellence referred to in paragraph 117 of A High Quality Workforce: NHS Next Stage Review.

Ann Keen: The cost of the Centre of Excellence is not yet established. Since the publication of A High Quality Workforce we have taken the time to consult with stakeholders across health, social care and education on what is an important strategic investment for the whole workforce planning system. The feedback received is feeding into the design of the business case and specification for the Centre of Excellence. This will be completed soon, with procurement scheduled to commence in the spring.

Nurses: Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were enrolled in a foundation period of preceptorship in each year for which the figures are available; and what the budget was for such preceptorships in each year.

Ann Keen: Neither the number of nurses undertaking preceptorship or the amount spent is held centrally. The Government recognise the value of preceptorship and have made 10 million available in 2008-09 for strategic health authorities to invest in preceptorship. We plan to increase this to 20 million in 2009-10 and 30 million in 2010-11 and each subsequent year.

Occupational Therapists: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many occupational therapists worked in the NHS in each year since 1997; and how many worked in each NHS organisation in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: A table showing the number of qualified occupational therapists employed in the national health service in the years requested has been placed in the Library.

Pregnant Women: Alcoholic Drinks

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were born with an alcohol dependency in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.

RU486

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women of each age group in each region after taking mifepristone were subject to  (a) excessive bleeding, (b) haemorrhaging when the foetus was expelled from the uterus,  (c) damage to the cervix and (d) an infection in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by length of gestation of the pregnancy.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total complications reported( 1)  for abortions using Mifepristone (Mifegyne, RU486) by gestation and age, residents, England, 2003 to 2007 
			 Haemorrhage  Other complications( 2) 
			   Total abortions using RU486  Total complications  Gestation under 13 weeks  13 weeks +  All gestations 
			 2003 29,667 121 61 49 11 
			 2004 34,466 93 58 25 10 
			 2005 44,779 129 81 31 17 
			 2006 56,805 136 98 24 14 
			 2007 67,917 183 121 30 32 
		
	
	
		
			 Haemorrhage  Other complications( 2) 
			   Total abortions using RU48  Total complications  Age under 25 years  25 years+  All ages 
			 2003 29,667 121 39 71 11 
			 2004 34,466 93 35 48 10 
			 2005 44,779 129 52 60 17 
			 2006 56,805 136 49 73 14 
			 2007 67,917 183 72 79 32 
			 (1) Up until the time of discharge from the place of termination. (2 )Includes uterine perforation and/or sepsis.  Note: Breakdown by region is not possible due to small numbers. This is line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005)

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under 25 years received treatment for each sexually transmitted infection in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency and  (b) Essex in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data are only available on the number of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics and only available by strategic health authority (SHA). The following table gives the number of diagnoses for five selected STT diagnoses in patients under 25 in the East of England SHA between 1998 and 2007, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			  STI diagnoses  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Chlamydia 2,229 2,628 3,105 3,628 4,291 4,928 5,541 5,778 5,587 6,664 
			 Gonorrhoea 274 397 457 539 578 731 705 516 439 410 
			 Genital warts 2,713 3,106 2,926 3,096 3,147 3,298 3,485 3,571 3,628 3,991 
			 Genital herpes 584 615 617 660 612 601 590 670 750 838 
			 Syphilis 2 4 8 1 5 8 20 26 8 14 
			  Notes: 1. Data by age-group are only available for five selected STI diagnoses (Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital warts, genital herpes and primary and secondary syphilis) 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 3. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 4. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 5. Data on S71 diagnoses are provided. Data on treatment received are unavailable.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns 
		
	
	In addition to STTs diagnosed in a GUM clinic, the National Chlamydia Screening programme (NCSP) provides chlamydia screening to asymptomatic people under the age of 25 years of age in England. The NCSP was launched in 2003 when a phased implementation programme started. The following table shows the number of diagnoses of chlamydia in patients between the ages of 13-24 years between April 2003 and December 2008 in Mid Essex primary care trust (PCT), Essex (which includes Mid Essex PCT, North East Essex PCT, South East Essex PCT and West Essex PCT) and The East of England SHA.
	
		
			  Area  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Mid Essex PCT 0 (1) 5 (1) 29 104 
			 Essex 100 221 204 284 601 1072 
			 East of England SHA Total 107 324 728 1,610 2,015 2,650 
			 (1) Cell size of one to four has been masked to protect deductive disclosure in accordance with Office for National Statistics guidelines.  Notes: 1. Data on Chlamydia diagnoses are provided. Complete data on treatment received are unavailable. 2. The figure for 'Essex' represents the sum of Chlamydia diagnoses made in Mid Essex, North East Essex, South East Essex and West Essex PCTs. 3. South East Essex is a phase 1 programme area which started screening in 2003-04. Mid Essex, North East Essex and West Essex are all phase three programme areas which started screening in 2006-07. 4. NSCP data are presented by PCT of residence. 5. The data available from the NCSP are the number of diagnoses made and not the number of patients diagnosed.  Source: NCSP

Smoking

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the smoking ban in reducing levels of smoking in England.

Dawn Primarolo: Smoke free legislation was introduced primarily to protect people from the harm of second hand smoke in enclosed parts of work and public places.
	On 1 July 2008 the Department published the report Smokefree Englandone year on, which gives details of the impact of the smoke free law in its first year. A copy of the Smokefree Englandone year on report has already been placed in the Library.
	Research has been commissioned by the Department, which will evaluate various aspects of the impact of the smoke free law in England. The resulting reports will be published once completed and peer reviewed.
	In a report in July 2008, Professor Robert West Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies based at University College London, presented findings from the 'Smokers' Toolkit Study' that shows smoke free legislation in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will continue in preventing an estimated 40,000 premature deaths over the next 10 years.

Social Services: Elderly

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of total net expenditure by local authorities was spent on  (a) residential and nursing home places for older people and  (b) domiciliary care for older people in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: Data on expenditure by councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) on residential and nursing home places and domiciliary care for older people (aged 65 and over) are collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. The publication, Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs: England 2007-08, is available on the Information Centre website at
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/pssexpcosts0708
	and a copy has been placed in the Library.
	Information on net current expenditure by CASSRs on residential and nursing home places and domiciliary care for adults aged 65 and over between 1998-99 and 2007-08 in cash and real terms is shown in the following tables.
	Information on total net expenditure by local authorities is the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	
		
			  Table 1: Net current expenditure by CASSRs on adults aged 65 and over between 1998-99 and 2007-08 in cash terms, England 
			   million 
			   1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Residential and nursing care home places 2,080 2,210 2,200 2,290 2,710 2,880 3,170 3,280 3,330 3,340 
			 Domiciliary care 1,390 1,490 1,570 1,650 1,740 2,130 2,350 2,560 2,660 2,710 
			 of which:   
			 Supporting People grant  190 170 150 140 150 
			  Notes: 1. From the 2000-01 financial year, the data were collected on a different basis when the PSS EX1 replaced the R03 return. 2. Data from 2003-04 onwards include expenditure funded from the Supporting People grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure. 3. From the 2000-01 financial year, the data were collected on a different basis when the PSS EX1 replaced the R03 return. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table  2 :  Net current expenditure by CASSRs on adults aged 65 and over between 1998-99 and 2007-08 in real terms, England 
			   million 
			   1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Residential and nursing care home places 2,590 2,690 2,650 2,700 3,090 3,200 3,420 3,470 3,420 3,340 
			 Domiciliary care 1,730 1,810 1,890 1,940 1,990 2,370 2,540 2,710 2,730 2,710 
			 of which:   
			 Supporting People grant  220 190 160 140 150 
			  Notes: 1. Converted from cash terms using the gross domestic product deflator. 2. From the 2000-01 financial year, the data was collected on a different basis when the PSS EX1 replaced the R03 return. 3. Data from 2003-04 onwards include expenditure funded from the Supporting People grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure. 4. From the 2000-01 financial year, the data were collected on a different basis when the PSS EX1 replaced the R03 return.  Notes to all tables: Net current expenditure excludes income from client contributions and income items which count as expenditure from elsewhere in the public sector, such as contributions from primary care trusts. Residential and nursing care includes traditional residential and nursing care homes as well as supported and other accommodation. Supported and other accommodation includes other forms of registered accommodation where clients receive an element of both board and personal care, unstaffed (group) homes and adult placements/fostering. Domiciliary care has been defined as services helping the client to live at home, including direct payments, home care, day care, equipment and adaptations, meals and other non residential services. It also includes expenditure funded from the Supporting People grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure. The information provided is derived from data collected annually on social services expenditure from CASSRs on the form PSS EX1. This collection has been the responsibility of the Information Centre since April 2005. Prior to this date, data was collected by the Department of Health. From the 2000-01 financial year, the PSS EX1 replaced both the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Actuals return, which was discontinued after 1999-2000, and the detailed analysis previously collected by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the R03 expenditure return (this was reduced to a summary return with effect from 2000-01).

Southampton General Hospital: Surgery

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were  (a) contracted to be carried out by and  (b) carried out under contract with (i) Southampton Primary Care Trust (PCT) and (ii) Hampshire PCT at Southampton General Hospital in each month of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect data on the number of operations carried out by individual trusts.

Surgery

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of giving all surgical patients the opportunity to donate for research purposes tissue which would otherwise be incinerated;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to increase donations by surgical patients of human tissue for research purposes.

Dawn Primarolo: The Human Tissue Act 2004 allows for the storage and use of human tissue, with the appropriate consent, for a number of health-related purposes including research. The Act applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The Act also allows tissue removed from a living person to be used without consent for research which has been ethically approved by a research ethics authority, providing the researcher will not be able to identify the person from whom the material has come.
	The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) issues codes of practice setting out good practice in seeking consent for activities within its remit, including storage and use of tissue for research purposes. The HTA has recently consulted on a new code of practice on research. It is for NHS trusts and research establishments to develop local arrangements within the regulatory framework set out by the HTA.
	The HTA launched in February 2009 a review of how recent human tissue legislation has impacted on the research community, and how it has been implemented by the HTA. Further details can be found on the HTA's website at:
	www.hta.gov.uk

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department (and its agencies) recognise the Public and Commercial Services Union, Prospect and First Division Association for the purposes of individual representation for union members and for the purpose of collective bargaining.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from which advisory committees he obtains scientific advice on the use of tranquillisers.

Dawn Primarolo: Scientific advice on the use of tranquilisers is received from the Commission on Human Medicines.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) prescriptions and  (b) in-patient prescriptions were issued for (i) each benzodiazepine and (ii) each zed drug tranquilliser in 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for Benzodiazepines and z drugs is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Chemical name  Items (thousand) 
			  Benzodiazepinesprescription items dispensed January to September 2008( 1)  
			 Alprazolam 0.1 
			 Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride 195.4 
			 Clobazam (only used for epilepsy) 117.8 
			 Clonazepam (only used for epilepsy) 382.7 
			 Diazepam 3,616.4 
			 Flurazepam Hydrochloride 0.1 
			 Loprazolam Mesilate 78.2 
			 Lorazepam 666.6 
			 Lormetazepam 70.8 
			 Midazolam 2.4 
			 Midazolam Hydrochloride 42.6 
			 Midazolam Maleate 2.9 
			 Nitrazepam 878.9 
			 Oxazepam 134.7 
			 Temazepam 2,335.2 
			   
			  Z drugsprescription items dispensed January to September 2008  
			 Zaleplon 21.6 
			 Zolpidem Tartrate 516.3 
			 Zopiclone 3,459.5 
			 (1) Data for the last quarter of 2008 are embargoed until the related National Statistic is published in April 2009.  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system 
		
	
	Information on the number of inpatient prescriptions is not held centrally in the format requested.

Transplant Surgery

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of organ transplants to transplantees resident  (a) in and  (b) outside the UK were successful at (i) three months and (ii) one year in the last 10 years, broken down by organ; how many transplantees resident (A) in and (B) outside the UK have received transplants in the last 10 years subsequently died, broken down by cause of death; and how many transplants undertaken on each category of person in the last 10 years were unsuccessful.

Ann Keen: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Vulnerable Adults: Protection

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to enforce a multi-agency approach to safeguarding vulnerable adults, with particular reference to those who are both deaf and blind.

Phil Hope: A revision of the key guidance, No Secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse, is currently under way. As part of this, a large public consultation took place between 16 October 2008 and 31 January 2009. A copy of the consultation document has been placed in the Library.
	The consultation document asked a large number of questions about how we need to change and develop the No Secrets guidance, to strengthen and improve existing safeguarding arrangements for all vulnerable adults, including whether new legislation is needed. The review is also considering how to improve prevention of abuse, and how to assist all people including those who are blind or deaf in making decisions about risks and choice in their lives.
	The consultation on safeguarding adults has elicited a huge amount of information, from both service users and professionals which is being considered very carefully by Ministers.

Vulnerable Adults: Protection

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that carers do not exert undue influence on vulnerable adults purchasing their care using personal budgets or direct payments.

Phil Hope: It is for professionals in developing support plans with users and carers to balance the needs of both. In doing so they need to ensure that an assessment of risk is undertaken and that the support plan reflects that in a proportionate manner as stated in the Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision (May 2007).
	The Health and Social Care Act 2008 extended direct payments to those people who lack capacity to consent and who are currently excluded from the scheme. These people will now be able to benefit from direct payments through the appointment of a 'suitable person', often a friend or relative, to receive the payment on their behalf. The Department has recently consulted on draft regulations to implement this extension which, along with revised accompanying guidance, will come into force this year.
	Anyone making decisions for a person who lacks capacity, including a suitable person who receives direct payments on that person's behalf, is obliged under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) to act at all times in the best interests of the person lacking capacity. Acting in someone's best interests includes involving them in the decision-making process as far as is reasonably practicable to make sure that the person is able to have as much input as possible into decisions about their care. Suitable persons will need to be able to demonstrate how they have spent the direct payment and councils will have the power to stop the direct payment if it is not being spent in the way which it was intended when it was made.
	We are also taking action to ensure advice is made available to families who will manage direct payments on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity. The Government are making resources available under the MCA grant to councils and primary care trusts to train professionals on all aspects of working with people who lack capacity and taking best interest decisions on their behalf. Councils decide how best to use these resources on training, awareness raising and appointing specialist MCA professionals.

Wheelchairs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made towards publishing the outline model for wheelchair services as part of its transforming community equipment and wheelchair services programme;
	(2)  when he plans to publish the new model for wheelchair services; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the model;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of likely reductions in waiting times for  (a) assessments for and  (b) access to powered wheelchairs resulting from the proposed new model for wheelchair services;
	(4)  whether he plans to discuss his proposed new model for wheelchair services with  (a) wheelchair users with multiple sclerosis and  (b) other wheelchair service users and their carers.

Phil Hope: Discussions are ongoing within the Department on the future model for wheelchair services so as to ensure that a model is developed which is suitable for the national health services and service users.
	Stakeholder views are key in the development of any new model of service provision and wheelchair service user groups worked with the Care Services Efficiency Delivery programme on the future model for wheelchair services. Departmental officials have had and will continue to have meetings involving all groups of wheelchair service users and their carer, including multiple sclerosis, when required.
	Waiting times, assessments and access to powered wheelchairs are the responsibility of the NHS and these data are not collected by the Department.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Banks: Foreign Workers

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has had discussions with representatives of banks on the off-shoring of their management and IT functions; and what the outcome of these discussions was.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 5 March 2009
	I have not had any meetings with representatives of banks to discuss the off-shoring of their management and IT functions.

Business: Terminology

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what definition of a micro business his Department uses.

Ian Pearson: The Department defines a micro business as a business with nine or fewer employees.

Construction: Billing

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on the time taken to make payments to subcontractors of the requirement on Government bodies to pay invoices submitted by tier one contractors within 10 days.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 25 February 2009
	 Prompt payment helps the cash flow of sub-contracting companies. Departments are encouraging their tier one contractors to pass on the 10 day payment terms to their subcontractors.

Departmental Correspondence

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter of 20 February 2009 from the editors of the Birmingham Post, the Birmingham Mail and the Coventry Telegraph on his Department's response to the communiqu from the West Midlands auto industry summit.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 February 2009
	The Secretary of State has responded.

Departmental Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Patrick McFadden: This Department recognises three trades unions: FDA, Prospect and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) which are all members of the Council of Civil Service Unions.

Easter

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring into force the principal provision of the Easter Act 1928 fixing the date of Easter.

Patrick McFadden: We have no plans to implement the Easter Act 1928. It remains on the Statute Book but the Act requires that before a draft order is laid before Parliament
	regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any Church or other Christian Body.
	At this time, the churches have not all expressed a desire or willingness to move to a fixed Easter.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what procedures are in place under the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive to ensure that the independent audit of transfrontier shipments complies with the terms of the Directive.

Ian Pearson: Under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations, exporters who issue evidence of treatment and recycling must be approved by the appropriate environment agencies. Evidence notes can only be issued by exporters in respect of WEEE that has been exported in accordance with EU legislation on waste shipments. Under the WEEE regulations, exporters must maintain records that demonstrate that the reported treatment and recycling has taken place. These records must be made available for the agencies to audit and, in the case of larger exporters, are subject to independent audit.

Environmental Transformation Fund

Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which projects for which his Department is responsible receive funding from the Environmental Transformation Fund; how much each has received from the Fund since its inception; and what new projects are planned.

Ian Pearson: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is not responsible for any projects currently receiving funding from the Environmental Transformation Fund. The domestic element of the Environmental Transformation Fund, which was formerly jointly led by BERR and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has been led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) since the creation of DECC in autumn 2008. DEFRA and the Department for International Development (DflD) are jointly responsible for the separately managed international element of the fund.

Government Departments: Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of running the  (a) CompeteFor website and  (b) supply2.gov website was in each of the last three years; how many unique visitors each site received in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The running costs for CompeteFor are as follows:
	Year 1 (December 2007 to March 2008) 220,000
	Year 2 (April 2008 to March 09) projected at 1,241,000
	The CompeteFor site has had 54,000 businesses register since launch in January 2008.
	Supply2.Gov.uk is operated under a concession type contract whereby the supplier carries all of the commercial risk. Initial set up costs totalling 120,000 were borne by the Department of Trade and Industry in 2006. In 2008-09 BERR funded the provision of a free trial for businesses which ran between 1 May and 31 July 2008, at a cost of 110,310 (ex VAT). No other payments have been made in relation to the portal.
	The breakdown of supplier registrations into financial year is as follows:
	Year 1 (Launch to March 2007) - 43,050
	Year 2 (April 2007 - March 2008) - 31,256
	Year 3 (April 2008 - Jan 2009) - 50,872
	Total registrants since launch to the end of January 2009 was 125,178.

Job Creation

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to create British jobs for British workers since 24 September 2007.

Ian Pearson: The Government have announced a series of measures to support businesses and families through the financial crisis. A summary of these measures are set out in The Road to the London Summit: the plan for recovery. Copies of the document are available in the Libraries of the House.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the European Investment Bank has given in loans to each automotive company for investment in lower carbon initiatives since 27 January 2009.

Ian Pearson: The European Investment Bank (EIB) is currently assessing a number of applications received under its clean transport facility from UK and other European automotive companies following the doubling of the clean transport facility budget in December 2008.

Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of applications by individuals for car loans which were rejected in each month since January 2008; what assistance he plans to give to individuals to secure finance for the purpose of purchasing a new car; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government do not routinely collect information on individual car loan rejections. My noble Friend, the Minister for Trade and Investment, is exploring what solutions can be found to enable the car finance industry to access credit. He is consulting with a range of interested parties, including the Bank of England, banks and the motor finance industry.

Redundancy

Sally Keeble: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) women and  (b) men who were made redundant in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: The level of redundancies, split by gender, in the United Kingdom in each of the previous four quarters is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Redundancy levels 
			  Thousand 
			  2008  Male  Female  Total 
			 Q1 75 36 111 
			 Q2 76 51 127 
			 Q3 91 65 156 
			 Q4 177 82 259 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS

Retail Trade: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to assist the retail industry in the London Borough of Havering; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: BERR recognises the positive contribution the retail sector makes to local, regional and national economies.
	Through Business Link, the Capital's retail sector, including the retail industry in Havering, can access mainstream Government business support products which encourage increased productivity, skills, innovation and opens up new business opportunities.
	The Government are also providing businesses, including retailers, with 'Real Help Now' which consists of targeted products and initiatives to help firms during these tough economic times.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when the Export Credits Guarantee Department granted an indemnity for the Al-Yamamah Saudi-British Defence Co-operation Programme; and what the present status of this indemnity is;
	(2)  when the Export Credits Guarantee Department granted an indemnity for the Salam Project; and what the present status of the indemnity is.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 February 2009
	Since 1989 ECGD has provided consecutive insurances and indemnities to BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd in respect of the Al Yamamah programme (now known as the Saudi British Defence Co-Operation Programme), the last of which was a five year Indemnity issued in 2006, to which, in 2007, the Salam programme was nominated for cover in accordance with the terms of the Indemnity. The Indemnity was terminated by BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd with effect from 1 September 2008.

Small Businesses: Procurement

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will remove charges to small and medium-sized enterprises for use of  (a) Supply2gov and  (b) Catalist.

Ian Pearson: The Department is working to ensure that the principal recommendation of the Glover Review, a single, free of charge, easy to search portal is launched by 2010. 95 per cent. of supply2.gov.uk users are currently registered for the free of charge service. OGC Buying Solutions do not charge suppliers of any size to be on catalyst.

Small Businesses: Procurement

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will simplify and speed up the procurement process for  (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and  (b) social enterprises supplying the public sector.

Ian Pearson: The Department is working with the Office of Government Commerce to implement all 12 recommendations made in the Glover Review, Accelerating the economic engine: through transparent, simple and strategic procurement, published in November 2008, which aims to simplify and speed up the procurement process for SMEs wanting to supply goods and services to the public sector.

Working Capital Scheme

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many businesses have sought access to funds under the Working Capital Scheme;
	(2)  how many businesses are currently in receipt of assistance under the Working Capital Scheme.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 February 2009
	 The Working Capital Scheme is not available directly to businesses. The scheme is designed to enable participating banks to increase the amount of working capital they can make available to businesses.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeship places there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: Government Skills will be preparing a table of Departments participating in the national apprenticeship partnership in 2008-09 and the number of apprentices on the programme.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change has been formed by bringing together work previously covered by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As a new Department it is not yet participating in the partnership. It will in due course develop its policy in relation to apprenticeships.

Carbon Emissions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of delivering a reduction of one tonne of carbon dioxide under the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Joan Ruddock: Analysis indicates that the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) will result in an overall net present value benefit to participants of around 1 billion.
	The CRC is designed to help secure emissions reductions cost-effectively from across the economy, and will promote changes in behaviour and infrastructure. The costs to the public purse per tonne of carbon dioxide will be close to zero, as carbon savings have been modelled to be at least 4 Mt CO2 by 2020. Only the costs of the initial setting up of the scheme and enforcement action by the regulators will be paid from the public purse. It is designed to be broadly revenue-neutral to the Exchequer.
	The revenue raised from the sale of allowances will be recycled to participants. For participants taken as a whole, the costs of participating will be outweighed by the savings from the reduction in energy bills.

Carbon Emissions: Barnsley

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make an assessment of the reductions in carbon dioxide emissions achieved by Barnsley Metropolitan borough council through pilot trials of burning wood pellets in fossil fuel appliances.

Joan Ruddock: The reports submitted by Barnsley metropolitan borough council to the Department do not provide sufficient quantifiable evidence to enable a review of the potential carbon savings which the pilot trials may have achieved. I understand the trials were primarily concerned with assessing the feasibility of using wood pellets as fuel in boilers originally designed to use coal.

Carbon Trust: Public Relations

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments the Carbon Trust has made to  (a) Fishburn Hedges,  (b) Grayling Political Strategy,  (c) Weber Shandwick Public Affairs and  (d) Citigate Public Affairs in each of the last five years; and on what date and for what purpose the payment was made in each case.

Mike O'Brien: The Carbon Trust is a private company limited by guarantee, and details of payments made are therefore a matter for the Trust's Board.
	The Department has been informed that the Carbon Trust has made payments to Fishburn Hedges, Grayling Political Strategy, and Weber Shandwick Public Affairs, for promoting energy efficiency and low carbon technology and advice on government affairs strategy, within the last five years.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change during what periods in July and August 2008 the power generation units at Kingsnorth power station were  (a) operating at full capacity,  (b) operating at limited capacity and  (c) turned off; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 9 March 2009
	I am advised by E.ON UK that, during July and August 2008, Kingsnorth power station, excluding its auxiliary gas turbines, was generating power for slightly less than half of that time and was generating no power for the remainder of the period. At no time during the period were all the station's units operating at full load.
	The output of each unit can vary significantly from day to day. More detailed information is available on the operating regime of each unit and the company would be happy to supply this if the hon. Member wishes to write to E.ON UK.

Combined Heat and Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish the results of his Department's modelling of the effects of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme phase 3 on combined heat and power plants.

Mike O'Brien: We hope to publish projections of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) capacity, including the possible effects of Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, during the period for consultation on the Heat and Energy Saving Strategy which closes on 8 May 2009. The projections in this report will include input from developers on their likely investment in the future energy market.

Combined Heat and Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account will be taken of carbon dioxide emission levels from combined heat and power installations in the benchmarking allocation under phase 3 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Mike O'Brien: The revised EU Emissions Trading Directive agreed in December 2008 sets out the principles by which free EU allowances will be distributed to installations, including those with combined heat and power. These principles are:
	The allocation should be ex-ante i.e. based on historic data and not adjusted ex-post;
	The allocation should give incentives to reduce emissions and take into account efficient techniques such as high efficiency combined heat and power (CHP);
	The allocation should be calculated for final products rather than inputs to maximise emissions reductions and;
	The starting point shall be the average performance of the 10 per cent. most efficient installations in a sector or sub-sector in the EU in 2007-08.
	The final allocation rules are due to be agreed by 31 December 2010.

Combined Heat and Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to support the financing and development of heat networks.

Mike O'Brien: The Government have set out a number of possible measures to encourage the development of heat networks and district heating in the consultation on the Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, published on 12 February 2009.

Departmental Conferences

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what conferences his Department has organised since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: Since DECC's creation on 3 October 2008, the Department has organised the following conferences:
	
		
			  Date  Subject 
			 29 October 2008 Regional delivery of biomass heat and power 
			 18 to 19 December 2008 The London meeting of international energy and oil Ministers. 
			 29 January 2009 Hydrogen Workshop to inform hydrogen stakeholders of the forthcoming Technology Strategy Board (TSB) call for fuel cells and hydrogen R and D and to enable TSB and DECC to understand the aspirations of the hydrogen energy sector, particularly with regard to research and development. 
			 30 January 2009 Stakeholder workshop to inform stakeholders of proposals for the review of exemption orders under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. 
			 4 February 2009 Business forum held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focusing on opportunities for co-operation in the field of oil and gas. 
			 11 to 12 February 2009 Advanced power generation technology forum annual workshop 
			 12 February 2009 Launch of consultations on Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HES), Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP)

Departmental Electricity Generation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department in  (a) capital expenditure and  (b) maintenance and running costs for standby diesel generators for backup electricity on the departmental estate since October 2008.

Mike O'Brien: Since October 2008, there has been no capital expenditure on standby diesel generators on the DECC estate. 720 has been spent on maintenance and running costs for the standby diesel generator in DECC's London headquarters in 3 Whitehall Place by DEFRA's Estates Division, who currently manage this generator. No maintenance and running costs have been incurred by DECC.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Mike O'Brien: Since the Department's creation on 3 October 2008, DECC has undertaken six equalities impact assessments (EIAs). Since undertaking equalities impact assessments is integrated into the Department's policy making process, it is not possible to estimate any specific cost associated with the EIAs.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Mike O'Brien: The Department's website (www.decc.gov.uk) is already designed to be fully accessible to Level Double-A standard of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, in accordance with the Central Office of Information's guidelines. Further information on the DECC website's accessibility can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accessibility/accessibility.aspx

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The Department's financial transactions are processed by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Neither system collects spend in sufficient detail to identify alcohol and food separately. Therefore, the Department could not answer this question without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not currently have a correspondence unit. Correspondence is handled on behalf of DECC by DEFRA and BERR and I therefore refer my hon. Friend to the responses provided by those Departments.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding was allocated to the  (a) Waste and Resources Action Programme,  (b) Carbon Trust,  (c) Energy Saving Trust,  (d) National Industrial Symbiosis Programme,  (e) Envirowise and  (f) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in each year since 1997; and how much he expects each organisation to receive from the public purse in each of the next six years.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The following table details the funding allocated to the  (a) Waste and Resources Action programme,  (b) Carbon Trust,  (c) Energy Saving Trust,  (d) National Industrial Symbiosis programme,  (e) Envirowise and  (f) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in each year since 1997.
	This Department funds the Carbon Trust (CT), the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
	The CT was established in 2001 and in the past received funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). CT figures do not include funding from the devolved administrations.
	Previously, the EST received funding from DEFRA, the Department for Transport, BERR (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry) and the Scottish Administration.
	The NDA became operational on 1 April 2005. It is funded by a combination of Government funding and commercial income. The funding for the NDA for 2008-09 is expected to be around 3 billion, of which 1.5 billion is Government funding. The total funding for the NDA for the three year spending period to 2010-11 is expected to be around 8 billion, of which 5 billion is Government funding.
	The National Industrial Symbiosis programme (NISP) is funded by DEFRA as is Envirowise (which until 2006-07 was jointly funded with BERR) and the Waste and Resources Action programme (WRAP). The allocations for NISP, Envirowise and WRAP do not include funding from the Devolved Administrations. The NISP and WRAP programmes were not operational in the years for which figures have not been provided.
	Funding in 2009-10 for some delivery bodies has yet to be confirmed while the funding for all bodies for years beyond that has yet to be determined.
	
		
			   million 
			   WRAP  Carbon Trust  EST  NISP  Envirowise  NDA 
			 1997-08 n/a n/a 2 n/a 7 n/a 
			 1998-09 n/a n/a 2 n/a 7 n/a 
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a 19 n/a 6 n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a 25 n/a 7 n/a 
			 2001-02 9 3 39 n/a 4 n/a 
			 2002-03 21 26 49 n/a 6 n/a 
			 2003-04 24 51 50 n/a 6 n/a 
			 2004-05 56 54 71 n/a 5 n/a 
			 2005-06 72 61 72 3 12 2,420 
			 2006-07 66 82 58 6 16 2,586 
			 2007-08 62 (1)102 74 10 22 2,593 
			 2008-09 43 90 55 5 9 2,880 
			 2009-10 43   5 9 2,769 
			 (1) Includes 14,001,000 of accrued incomei.e. income payable to the Carbon Trust under arrangements for 2007-08, but disbursed in 2008-09 when funds were required.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many staff in his Department and its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average number of days of sick leave per staff member in his Department has been since it was established;
	(3)  how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December 2008.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has been formed by bringing together work previously covered by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sickness absence records are currently held by the two legacy departments and a system for bringing these records together will be implemented for the new reporting year 2009-10. Until this system is in place the Department would incur a disproportionate cost in reporting these figures.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) summits,  (b) conferences and  (c) seminars his Department has hosted since its inception at which a primary subject of discussion was the effect of the economic situation on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Mike O'Brien: At the meeting in London on 18-19 December 2008 of Energy and Oil, Ministers considered the impact of the economic and financial crisis on the oil market.
	In addition, Ministers and officials have regular engagements with other organisations including relevant Government Departments on a range of issues relating to the economy.

Energy Supply: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which body is responsible for the maintenance of power lines in Gloucestershire; and how many  (a) repairs,  (b) upgrades and  (c) scheduled maintenance visits were made in (i) Gloucestershire and (ii) Stroud constituency in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: Central Networks are responsible for the maintenance of power lines in Gloucestershire. I regret that figures for the number of repairs, upgrades and scheduled maintenance visits are not held centrally.

Energy: Meters

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether priority in the introduction of smart meters will be given to communities where there is high use of pre-payment meters combined with a large number of people in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the introduction of smart meters will begin; and in which areas.

Mike O'Brien: The Government announced on 28 October last year that we will mandate the provision of smart meters to all households. We are currently considering a range of policy issues linked to the implementation of this policy. We will make further announcements on these issues and the next steps towards roll out when we are able to do so.

Energy: Prices

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that members of the public are aware of the social tariffs offered by energy utilities.

Mike O'Brien: Suppliers agreed at the Fuel Poverty Summit organised by Ofgem in April 2008 to provide greater visibility of their offers. Following this Ofgem have worked with the suppliers to ensure that information about their social tariffs and programmes and a contact phone number for consumers to check their eligibility is available on all the suppliers' websites.
	Energy suppliers have committed to collectively spend 100 million this year, rising to 125 million next year and 150 million by 2011 on social assistance. In order to meet this commitment to Government suppliers need to inform their customers about the assistance available to vulnerable groups through their social tariff scheme.
	Expenditure on suppliers' social assistance is monitored by Ofgem and they estimated, in a report published in December 2008, that over 800,000 customer accounts are now benefiting from a social tariff. This is a significant increase, almost doubling, since March 2008 which is a good indication of the level of awareness of the assistance suppliers offer.

Energy: Prices

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the average length of time a customer has to be with an energy supplier before being able to apply for  (a) a social tariff and  (b) a discounted tariff with that supplier;
	(2)  how many and which energy suppliers offer a social tariff as defined by Ofgem; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 9 March 2009
	The Department does not hold any specific information on the average length of time a customer has to be with an energy supplier before being able to apply for a social or discounted tariff.
	In their most recent report on suppliers' social spend for 2007-08 available online:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Documentsl/Monitoring%20Suppliers%20Social%20Spend%20171.08.pdf
	published in December 2008, Ofgem supplied details of the qualifying criteria for the suppliers' social and discounted tariffs. This information shows that there is no minimum qualifying period for a customer to be eligible for suppliers' social and discounted tariffs. The only exception is E.On's WarmAssist tariff, where a customer has to be with the company for at least a year before qualifying.
	In its report in July:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Documents1/Monitoring_suppliers_10508.pdf
	Ofgem set out its new criteria for what constitutes a social tariff. It proposed that for the financial year 2008-09, a supplier's social tariff had to be as good as the standard direct debit tariff but going forwards, a social tariff has to be at least as good as the lowest tariff in a customer's area.
	SSE's, ScottishPower's and E.On's social tariffs are already consistent with the new definition. EDF, British Gas and Npower have been reviewing their social tariffs and will look to launch new versions to comply with the new definition in financial year 2009-10 as set out by Ofgem.

Fuel Poverty: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) people and  (b) households in the Hemel Hempstead constituency that are in fuel poverty.

Mike O'Brien: The most recent year for which constituency level estimates of fuel poverty are available is 2003. The data for fuel poverty levels for 2003 come from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset, available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	In 2003, there were around 2,000 households in the constituency of Hemel Hempstead living in fuel poverty.
	Fuel poverty is not measured at an individual level.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has awarded under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme to  (a) charitable sector organisations and  (b) each public sector department and body.

Mike O'Brien: The following charitable sector organisations and public sector departments and bodies have been awarded the following amount of money under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Building Programme:
	
		
			  Type of organisation  Ground  s ource  h eat pump  Wind t urbine  Solar  t hermal  Photovoltaic  Biomass boilers  Total 
			 Housing Association or Trust 429,738 11,061 1,805,354 4,212,656 16,365 6,475,175 
			 Local Authority 858,714 211,175 402,123 3,511,419 158,483 5,141,914 
			 School 363,319 572,521 261,857 6,130,659 24,710 7,353,068 
			 University 66,813   968,359  1,035,172 
			 Hospital 33,017  4,143 108,792  145,952 
			 Public sector subtotal 1,751,602 794,757 2,473,477 14,931,885 199,558 20,151,280 
			 Local community group 56,951  41,156 478,052  576,159 
			 Registered Charity 598,614 227,820 184,928 2,193,399 145,201 3,349,961 
			 Company Ltd 64,917 36,400 16,792 194,780  312,889 
			 Environmental Trust  20,578  8,423  29,001 
			 Other 118,918 42,812 73,559 1,741,242 45,380 2,021,911 
			 Charitable sector sub-total 839,400 327,610 316,435 4,615,896 190,581 6,289,921 
			 Total 2,591,002 1,122,367 2,789,912 19,547,780 390,139 26,441,200

Lord Truscott

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what correspondence his Department has  (a) received from and  (b) sent to Lord Truscott since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: Since its creation, DECC has received one letter and three e-mails from Lord Truscott or his office, and has sent one e-mail in reply. This correspondence concerned an invitation to me to address members of the Royal United Services Institute on UK energy security issues. This proposed meeting was cancelled.

Natural Gas

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his definition of the National Balancing Point is.

Mike O'Brien: The National Balancing Point (NBP) is a notional point which represents the National Transmission System (NTS) for balancing purposes. Gas trading in Great Britain takes place via the NBP, which provides a virtual trading location for buying and selling into and out of the NTS.

Nuclear Power

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the publication of Dr Tim Stone's recommendations on nuclear regulation did not take place in accordance with the originally planned timetable.

Mike O'Brien: In January 2008, following the publication of the White Paper on Nuclear Power, the Government asked Dr. Tim Stone to conduct a review of the nuclear regulatory regime. We had previously indicated our intention to publish the recommendations in the autumn of 2008, but due to the need for full and careful consideration of the review this date was revised to early 2009. On 27 January 2009 we published the recommendations of Dr Stone's review.

Nuclear Power Stations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will review his Department's policy on the construction of new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We set out our policy on nuclear in the Nuclear White Paper. This stated that the Government will take active steps to enable new build. It says we will implement these vigorously.
	This continues to be our policy and we are making progress on our facilitative actions to increase certainty and remove roadblocks to new build.

Nuclear Power Stations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what requirements there are upon nuclear power plant operators to report to safety and environmental regulators the  (a) instances and  (b) quantities of radioactive gases emitted during re-fuelling; and whether such data are publicly available.

Mike O'Brien: There are no specific requirements for the reporting of radioactive gases emitted during refuelling.
	Gaseous discharges from refuelling operations have been taken into account when setting station discharge limits. Discharges from refuelling operations are included in the periodic (monthly) reporting of gaseous discharges from power stations.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which sites under consideration for development for a new generation of nuclear power stations are  (a) at or  (b) near the present sea level.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 February 2009
	The Government response to the consultation on the strategic siting assessment (SSA) was published on 27 January. This set out that nominations of sites to be considered as part of the SSA are due by 31 March. Nominations will be published soon after, and the results of the SSA will be consulted on as part of the nuclear national policy statement, later in 2009.

Nuclear Safety Directorate

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals for restructuring the Nuclear Directorate; and what form he expects those proposals to take.

Mike O'Brien: The Government's response to Dr. Stone's recommendations, also published on 27 January, announced our agreement to restructure the HSE's nuclear directorate through legislation. Officials are currently working up detailed proposals for this reform, on which we expect to consult in the summer.

Peers Interests

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Ministers in his Department received representations from  (a) Lord Moonie,  (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn,  (c) Lord Snape and  (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months.

Mike O'Brien: Since its creation on 3 October 2008, there is no record of Ministers in DECC having received representations from Lords Moonie, Snape or Taylor of Blackburn. In the same period, DECC has received one letter and three e-mails from Lord Truscott or his office, and sent one e-mail in reply concerning an invitation to me to address a meeting of members of the Royal United Services Institute on UK energy security issues. This proposed meeting was cancelled.

Renewable Energy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Government are taking to help British businesses develop renewable energy technologies.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are supporting a wide range of measures to stimulate the development of a portfolio of energy technologies, including renewables such as wind; wave and tidal; microgeneration and photovoltaics; and bioenergy. Public sector spending on energy technology research, development and demonstration was around 151 million in 2007-08, of which some 81 million was spent on renewables.
	The Government are also providing the market mechanisms and incentives to deploy these technologies. The Renewables Obligation (RO) currently provides all technologies with the same level of support. However, under reforms, to take effectsubject to parliamentary approvalon 1 April 2009, we are introducing measures to allow banding of the RO. This will provide the generation industry with greater incentive to develop and deploy those technologies which are currently further from commercial deployment.
	We will also be introducing Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) for small scale, low carbon electricity generation and a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) using powers bought in through the Energy Act 2008 to provide financial assistance to organisations installing renewable and low carbon energy generating technologies.
	In addition my Department will be launching an Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED). The ORED will have a strong role to play in tackling renewables deployment barriers related to grid, planning and the supply chain and raising public awareness.
	We consulted last summer on how to meet the UK share of the EU 2020 target. Our UK renewable energy strategy consultation sought views on what more we can all do to ensure that the UK maximises business benefits, including UK jobs. We will respond to the consultation responses in the renewable energy strategy in spring this year, detailing an action plan for promoting further renewable deployment throughout the UK.

Street Lighting

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) financial and  (b) environmental effects of introducing central monitoring systems for streetlights.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 26 January 2009
	We have made no assessment of the financial and environmental effects of introducing central monitoring systems (CMS) for street lights.
	However, Ofgem's open letter, issued in April 2008, sought views regarding whether it should seek to facilitate the development of CMS, acknowledging that some types of CMS could
	yield significant environmental and economic benefits..
	Although there was substantial stakeholder engagement with the consultation, there was no clear consensus on whether there was a need for the changes proposed. Ofgem is currently considering the way forward.

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons Eaga is not party to the contract for the supply of heating materials used in Warm Front scheme installations.

Joan Ruddock: The contract for the supply of heating materials is held between Eaga and the suppliers.

Warm Front Scheme: Essex

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints on the Warm Front scheme his Department and its predecessor have received from those resident in Essex since the inception of the scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Eaga plc records and monitors all complaints received about the scheme on DECC's behalf. They have recorded upheld complaints representing 0.5 per cent. of their clients. The recent NAO report recorded 5-6 per cent. dissatisfaction with the scheme.
	Since the beginning of the current phase of Warm Front in 2005, 441 complaints have been registered in Essex. Of this number, 142 were upheld.
	The Department has now put in place mechanisms to record complaints received directly, though robust data are not yet available.